Caribbean scream! February 2017
www.psneurope.com
John Otway’s crazy plan to record an album on Montserrat P24 P32
P34
P36
KILLER APP
TELLING TALES
NO MOE PROBLEMS
FIGHTMAN DAVE GOODALL AND HIS SONIC WEAPONRY
BRIGHTON’S DARING SOUND OF STORY: FULL REPORT
FIVE GUYS ARE BACK, AND THEY AIN’T SELLIN’ BURGERS!
PM. The new generation. A new era of digital mixing has arrived. For more than four decades Yamaha has been at the forefront of live sound mixing technology. Now we deliver the culmination of years of dedication to the art of the digital mixer, our new flagship - the RIVAGE PM10. The future is here. Discover RIVAGE PM10 at yamahaproaudio.com
Expanding the Rivage family with RPio222
For more information please visit www.yamahaproaudio.com
Connect with experience #42327 - PM10 V2 AD - PSNE strip V2.indd 1
01 PSNE February 2017 FC FIN.indd 1
20/04/2016 12:02
23/01/2017 17:04
ULTRA-COMPACT MODULAR LINE SOURCE Packing a 138 dB wallop, Kiva II breaks the SPL record for an ultra-compact 14 kg/31 lb line source. Kiva II features L-Acoustics’ patented DOSC technology enhanced with an L-Fins waveguide for ultimate precise and smooth horizontal directivity. WSTŽ gives Kiva II long throw and even SPL, from the front row to the back, making it the perfect choice for venues and special events that require power and clarity with minimal visual obtrusion. Add to that a 16 ohm impedance for maximized amplifier density and a new sturdy IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, efficiency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com
Full Page Template.indd 1 Advertising_KivaII_220x290_PSNE.indd 1
08/12/2016 12:26:34 10:52:53 10/10/2016
Welcome
PSNEUROPE Editor Dave Robinson drobinson@nbmedia.com
Group commercial manager Ryan O’Donnell rodonnell@nbmedia.com
Deputy editor Sarah Sharples ssharples@nbmedia.com
Account manager Rian Zoll-Khan rzoll-khan@nbmedia.com
Content director James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com
Sales executive Alex Goddard agoddard@nbmedia.com
Head of design Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com
Production executive Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com
P3 FEBRUARY 2017
DAVE ROBINSON Editor Contributors: Kevin Hilton, Marc Maes, Phil Ward, David Davies, Marc Miller, Jim Evans, Mike Clark PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe to PSNEurope please go to www.psneurope.com/subscribe-tonewsletters-digital-editions should you have any questions please email subs@psneurope.com Please note that this is a controlled circulation title and subscription criteria will be strictly adhered to.
NewBay Subscriptions: The Emerson Building 4-8 Emerson Street London SE1 9DU Email: subs@psneurope.com 2017 subscription rates for nonindustry/non-European readers are: UK: £39/€62 Europe: £54/€86 Other countries: £106/$170
is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media Europe Ltd, The Emerson Building, 4th Floor, 4-8 Emerson Street, London SE1 9DU www.psneurope.com
@PSNEurope NewBay Media Europe Ltd is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association Copyright NewBay Media Europe Ltd 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of PSNEurope are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems. Printed by Pensord Press Ltd, NP12 2YA ISSN number 0269-4735 (print) 2052-238X (digital) Accreditations to memberships of industry associations and media partnerships
When you have finished reading this magazine please recycle it
Cover image: Otway and band plan in Montserrat 2016 c/o Judy Totton
L
et’s get this out of the way first. The problem I have with Trump, you see (other than that he’s a manipulative sociopathic narcissist, but you knew that) is that, now he’s president, the surprises just don’t seem to be letting up. Who knows what he or his huddle of bloodless sycophants are going to say or do next? But we do know that the next inappropriate remark, or tweet, or misdeed, is only hours away. For me, it’s become like a nervous tic, an itch I can’t scratch, drawing me over and over to social media sites and time-burning news sites to discover what the latest outrage is. It’s very distracting when you’re trying to put a pro-audio mag together. Especially on deadline. You’re driving me CRAZY, Donald! (Right, sorry, I just wanted to get that off my chest...) Of course, a bigger problem for our industry might be the full extent of one of his inauguration speech pledges: that from now on it’s going to be ‘Hire American or buy American’. Quite how that will affect goods being imported into the States, or production crews planning to tour the country, well, we just can’t predict yet. Hopefully – ha! – I’m scaremongering needlessly here. Or maybe I’m planting the seeds of fake news for a future issue... (ENOUGH WITH THE TRUMP STUFF ALREADY, DAVID, GET A GRIP!!) We’ve another couple of candidates for the ‘little bit crazy’ badge this month. Mr Luke Jenks – always something of a beachball-meets-locomotive at trade shows I’ve always thought (in the most affectionate way) has taken on a huge role at CODA Audio. Yup, he’s going to take the brand into the USA. Read his plans starting on p38, then you decide if he’s crazy. And finally of course, our cover star, the irrepressible Mr Otway. What he pulled off, with the help of his incredibly loyal fans, is nothing less than astounding. I personally would like to thank John, along with Judy Totton, Peter Filleul and Malcolm Atkin, for giving David Davies exclusive insight (and pictures) from the trip. “Raise £30k for me and I’ll record the album on Montserrat.” So his fans did. NOW who’s the crazy one? n
dns2 anywhere
the dialogue noise suppressor that anyone can use location studio live
www.cedaraudio.com
www.psneurope.com 03 WelcomeLeader FIN .indd 1
24/01/2017 18:53
P4 FEBRUARY 2017
Contents
In this issue... LIVE BIZ UNAFFECTED BY ECONOMIC TURMOIL, IT SEEMS
Credit Silvia Lelli
P42 ITALY’S INDUSTRY
P28 SYNCHRON STAGE VIENNA FROM RECORDING STRINGS FOR SAMPLES TO FULL FILM SCORES
P58 Q&A: GEORGE SHILLING THE CELLO PLAYING PRODUCER ON MAKING MUSIC
Studio 24 26 27 28
P38 CODA AUDIO HEADS STATESIDE AND OTHER FUTURE EXPANSION PLANS
Business 6 7 8 12 14 18 50
Adamantean launch and Bill Price remembered Boxpark takeover over by ACM students NAMM 2017 round up Vocal channel: David Hamilton-Smith Movers and shakers: industry appointments PSNTraining: what’s on ISE 2017 preview
Technology 20 42 52
New products FEATURE: Italy FEATURE: Corporate AV
‘Two-Hit Wonder’ John Otway records in Monserrat Fight club with David Goodall Hand manufacturing at Vintage Audio Projects Synchron Stage Vienna with SSL and Dante
Broadcast 32 34
The Sound of Story: report Digital knocks out FM networks in Norway
Live 36 38
Five Guys Named Moe and TiMax Coda Audio’s commercial proposition
Installation 46 48
Finland has a second loudspeaker manufacturer! Peavey’s MediaMatrix in Mallorca
Back pages 57 58
Hither and dither: SSE Audio’s 40th anniversary Q&A: George Shilling
www.psneurope.com 04 Contents FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 18:48
THE LEO FAMILY TRUE SOUND IN LINE ARRAYS.
The LEO Family provides power and clarity for nearly every application, from intimate performance spaces to the world’s largest outdoor festivals. LEOPARD, the smallest in the family, is gaining a following for being the most lightweight and versatile line array in its class. From small to midsize to large-scale, this family of line arrays has you covered.
meyersound.com/believeit
Full Page Template.indd 1
22/07/2016 09:31:46
P6 FEBRUARY 2017
Business
UNITED KINGDOM
Adamantean: try another flavour Ex-Paragon pair Wilding and Arlow make new stand, and deliver, writes Dave Robinson
T
wo former senior directors of Paragon Bank Technology Finance have launched Adamantean Ltd, a new independent leasing and asset finance company. Majority shareholder Gareth Wilding has taken on the role of managing director, while Sam Arlow, as director, will lead sales for the new company. Adamantean will initially focus on the media industry, with plans to expand into other markets in due course. Gareth Wilding spent almost 20 years in the role of sales and marketing director at Fineline Media Finance, and was part of the management team that sold Fineline to NM Rothschild’s asset finance and leasing subsidiary, the Five Arrows Leasing Group in 1998. He took over as MD of the Five Arrows Leasing Ltd subsidiary in 2014 and maintained this position following the completion of the sale of the FAL Group by
Rothschild to Paragon Bank plc in November 2015. Sam Arlow spent 10 years at Top-Teks in technology sales roles, before joining Fineline Media Finance in 2010. She is a member of Women in Film & Television, taking part in the organisation’s mentor scheme in
2015, and is also on the advisory board of Females in the Broadcast Industry (FBI). “Sam and I have built a reputation for integrity that we are keen to continue and polish,” said Gareth Wilding, managing director, Adamantean. “There is a lot of systemic change in the industry that will require funding, so this is an opportune time for us to launch our new business based on our understanding of the business, the technology and our clients’ needs.” In the first week of operations the company has already closed and paid out two pieces of business. Wilding says he was particularly delighted that the first was with his longest standing customer Dobson Sound Productions, who he has dealt with since Paul Dobson formed his production services start-up in 1988. More deals will be revealed shortly, adds Wilding. n www.adamantean.net
In memoriam: Bill Price (1943-2016) The industry has been paid tribute to the ‘Anarchy in the UK’ engineer who has died aged 72, writes Jim Evans During a long career as both engineer and producer, the unassuming studio maestro built a CV that is more than a little impressive and unlikely to be surpassed, with credits ranging from Tom Jones to the Sex Pistols and the Clash, with Elton John, Queen and numerous other luminaries in the mix. Price started his career at Plessey Electronics, moving to Decca’s West Hampstead studios in the early Sixties where he cut his engineering teeth with such artists as Eric Clapton, John Mayall, the Moody Blues and Tom Jones. In 1970, he joined the nascent AIR Studios in Oxford Street where he became chief engineer, was closely involved with the design and was involved in projects by Mott The Hoople, Pink Floyd, Stan Getz, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. When Chrysalis Records purchased both AIR and Wessex Studios in 1976, Price joined the latter as chief engineer and later, studio manager. There, he forged a working relationship with producer Chris Thomas, for whom he engineered productions by Elton John, Pete Townshend and the Pretenders among others. Together, Price and Thomas created the Sex Pistols’ landmark release Anarchy in the UK. Speaking this month on Johnny Walker’s Sounds of
the Seventies on BBC Radio 2, guitarist Steve Jones observed, “With professionals like Chris Thomas and Bill Price on the case, you just let it happen. You were in safe hands.” Price’s long-time manager, Joyce Moore, says, “Bill was simply a fantastic person to work with. He combined the ‘old school’, laid-back approach with a serious appreciation of the technology involved. Simply put, all the artists wanted to work with him – and he could handle even the most awkward characters.” Dave Harries, who worked with Price at AIR, and remained a lifelong friend, told PSNEurope: “I first met Bill in 1970. The AIR staff were basically a combination of ex-EMI and Decca staff plus engineers
from Denham Studios on the film side. Bill being very technical immediately contributed his knowledge to assisting in the installation and working procedures in conjunction with Keith Slaughter. “Bill was George’s engineer of choice and there is no doubt that Bill’s contribution greatly enhanced AIR’s reputation and immediate success. He could get a good sound in a very short time and had the most perfect studio etiquette. “His technical knowledge was quite exceptional, he showed great confidence and exhibited a quiet generosity with this knowledge which he freely shared with his assistants and other staff. I reckon that Bill engineered almost 400 albums, including the production of 100 during his working life – that’s one album every six weeks! Bill was the best and I was very honoured to know him.” Chris Thomas adds: “Quite simply, Bill was one of the best engineers this country ever produced, which means that he was one of the best in the world. His technical knowledge seemed infinite and I was very fortunate to benefit from that knowledge, as were so many others who learnt from him both at Wessex and at AIR. He was also extremely patient – how he put up with me I will never know.” Bill Price leaves his wife, Denis and son, Billy. n
www.psneurope.com/business 06 Business_News FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:55
Business
P7 FEBRUARY 2017
UNITED KINGDOM
Live music takeover of world’s first pop-up mall The London venue, Shoreditch Boxpark, is giving students from The Academy of Contemporary Music experience in live sound, stage management and performing, writes Sarah Sharples
T
he Academy of Contemporary Music has partnered with Acoustic Live UK for a month-long live music takeover at London’s Shoreditch Boxpark. Fusing the concepts of a modern street food market and pop-up retail mall, Boxpark stands in the heart of Shoreditch and offers a community of brands specialising in fashion, arts, food and drinks. ACM London commercial songwriting student Jayana Akar, championed the idea after working with Acoustic Live UK while doing her A-levels. “(The Acoustic Live team) were very open to new ideas, and they’ve provided a platform for great artists who’ve gone on to do amazingly well; the likes of Little Simz, JP Cooper, Sonna Rele and loads more,” says Akar. When it came to her idea, Akar initially The band Fiori plays at Boxpark thought students would get one-off slots to perform. “But soon after I thought, why not have a whole month where students from all courses can experience working in the live field; live sound, stage management, social media and, of course, performance,” she comments. “Boxpark is a unique space. The location in East London really means it attracts a great audience – whether it’s rainy or sunny – there will be people either taking shelter from the rain or enjoying the warm London weather. The event that we run at Boxpark is free, which guarantees an audience…” With no backing tracks or sample triggers, Akar says the set up is simple, with the PROFX12 from Mackie, PreSonus loudspeakers and microphones from Shure – the SM58 for vocals and the SM57 to mic up instruments. Akar notes: “It’s an acoustic event and that doesn’t restrict the genres that get played on our stage. We have
ACM London student Jayana Akar
George Ullyot performed
had everything from alternative acts, rappers, spoken word artists, singer/songwriters, folk musicians and R’n’B acts.” ACM acts Raffer, Cee and the Sirens, Yana Toma and Molly Mckinna were the first to grace the line-up when the event kicked off in January. A spokesperson from the Acoustic Live Team says: “We’re very pleased to be working with ACM and the next generation of musicians, providing a platform for the month to have these artists showcase and hone their talents.” Akar agrees that it’s a real boost for her career
prospects. “As a student and a musician, I always looked for opportunities within my education to expand my involvement in and knowledge of the music industry. The event doesn’t just help engineers, it helps anyone that wants to be involved in entertainment. I have learnt so much about live music and events, I have met some amazing individuals and created a great contact list for my career as a musician, and not to forget the ability to perform regularly.” Ace, the guitarist in UK rock band Skunk Anansie, and tutor at ACM also helped Akar with the event. He comments: “We’re so pleased to put on these exclusive events in partnership with Acoustic Live UK. We’re also immensely proud of our student Jayana for coming up with the idea, showing her true entrepreneurial spirit.” In September 2016, the Academy, which counts famous alumni from Ed Sheeran, Newton Faulkner, Amelle Berrabah and Zomboy, opened the doors of its new facility, ACM London, in Clapham. Equipment from brands such as SSL, Tama and Avid are used by the teaching faculty.n www.acm.ac.uk www.boxpark.co.uk/shoreditch
www.psneurope.com/business 7 Business_News v1FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:00
P8 FEBRUARY 2017
Show review: NAMM
UNITED STATES
Sun sets on NAMM 2017 M Anaheim was transformed over three days with rock stars in the aisles, tools for the touring business and networking usic was played, new products were revealed and awards were handed out at the Californian show. Winners in 31 technical and creative achievement categories were announced at the 32nd annual NAMM TEC AWARDS. Four companies – AVID, iZotope, Sennheiser and Solid State Logic – scored several Outstanding Technical Achievement awards, each taking home two statues each. AVID’s Pro Tools Dock and Pro Tools 12.3 won in the Workstation Technology and Audio Apps & Hardware categories; iZotope in a new designation: Audio Education Technology, for the company’s Pro Audio Essentials and the Ozone 7 Advanced in the category of Signal Processing Software; Sennheiser in Wireless and Headphone/Earpiece Technology categories for the Wireless G3 A-1 Band and the HD 25 Plus and Solid State Logic for Large and Small Console Technology categories for the System T and the Sigma Delta. DiGiCo celebrated 15 years of manufacturing at NAMM by unveiling Project Vulcan, the new SD12. It features 72 input channels with full processing, 36 aux/ group busses with full processing, a 12 x 8 matrix with
DiGiCo SD12
QSC TouchMix 30
full processing, LR/LCR buss with full processing, 12 stereo FX units, 16 Graphic EQs, 119 Dynamic EQs, 119 multiband compressors and 119 DiGi-TuBes, 12 Control Groups (VCA) and SD Series Stealth Core 2 software, making it compatible with all other SD Series sessions. One of the SD12’s outstanding features is its dual 15” digital touchscreens, which provide 24 channels in one view, dual operator mode and the ability for the right-hand screen to be the Master, as well as advanced connectivity via optional DMI cards. Celestion announced its new line of ‘Impulse Responses’, featuring seven different classic Celestion loudspeaker models, each in five different speaker cabinets. Celestion IRs capture the essential behaviour
of the cabinet in the specific space in which it was recorded, including the frequency and phase response of single drivers as well as the interaction of multiple speakers. Its coaxial speakers were also on display. Dynaudio revealed details of the latest addition to its LYD studio monitor range at the show. The new LYD 48 features a 3-way speaker design, coupling an 8” and a 4” woofer with a 1” tweeter, making them well suited for nearfield and midfield monitor applications. It will be available as white and black, but also in a classic all-black version. The powerful rack mount mpressor 500 from elysia was on show in Anaheim. Extreme time constants, negative ratios, “antilog” release and elysia’s innovative
www.psneurope.com/business 8-10 Business_News v1SSDR 2 corrections.indd 1
24/01/2017 20:33
7
P9 FEBRUARY 2017
Company co-CEO Daniel Sennheiser was at NAMM to assist the launch of the Sennheiser XS Wireless 1 and XS Wireless 2 radio microphone series, as well as the Neumann KH 80 DSP monitoring loudspeaker
gain reduction limiter provide a whole spectrum of unique dynamics shaping options. A new feature of the 500 series module is its switchable THD boost allowing on-the-fly signal coloration and saturation effects capable of delivering a grittier flavor. G’Audio Lab launched G’Audio Works, a spatial audio plug-in for Digital Audio Workstation. Works can be added to Pro Tools as an AAX plug-in with features including supporting the simultaneous use of three audio signals to create realistic sound with environmental ambience, enabling users to edit as they watch in order to synchronise the reference video and audio in head-mounted display view, Panoramic view or Map view. AKG by HARMAN announced the new AKG C636 master reference handheld condenser microphone. In addition to a custom-tuned capsule with handselected components, the C636 is engineered to reject feedback, handling noise and pop noise, so vocalists can fully focus on their performance. The company also announced the new AKG P5i high-performance dynamic
vocal microphone. AKG P5i is the first microphone designed to automatically configure with the new HARMAN Connected PA ecosystem, providing effortless set up and instant recall of performer and presets. The HARMAN Connected PA is a complete, integrated ecosystem of live sound products. At the centre is the new HARMAN Connected PA mobile app, which provides one centralised solution for intuitive setup, configuration and control. The HARMAN Connected PA ecosystem brings together Soundcraft mixing consoles, AKG microphones, dbx stage boxes and JBL speakers that integrate HARMAN ioSYS technology. HARMAN Professional Solutions also announced the new JBL Intonato 24 Monitor Management Tuning System. Housed in a 2U rack-mount enclosure, Intonato 24 can calibrate and control systems of up to 24 speakers with customised recallable routing of up to 24 sources selected from 24 dedicated analogue, 24 digital and 256 networked audio sources. The new JBL 7 Series Powered studio monitors were also unveiled. Featuring patented driver and waveguide
JBL PRX portable PA systems
technologies developed for the flagship JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor. Both models feature the 2409H high-frequency compression driver, which incorporates an innovative low-mass annular diaphragm to deliver extraordinary output and very low distortion, with response beyond 36kHz. Soundcraft showcased the new Ui24R, a complete digital mixing and multitrack recording system. The system can be controlled by up to ten devices via Ethernet or built-in dual-band Wi-Fi, making it possible to control mixing and multitrack recording wirelessly. HK Audio, the German sound reinforcement experts, unveiled the portable PA system LUCAS NANO 602. It combines easily and quickly with any other 600 series NANO to form a powerful Twin Stereo system. Weighing in at just 16.3 kg, the system can be transported in just one hand, with the satellites mounted inside the subwoofer. Shure announced an enhanced suite of products, including the GLX-D Advanced Frequency Manager, rack mount receiver system, remote antennas and
From Celestion
Remembering some of those the synth community lost in 2016
www.psneurope.com/business 8-10 Business_News v1SSDR 2 corrections.indd 2
24/01/2017 20:33
P10 FEBRUARY 2017
Show review: NAMM MORE NEW PRODUCTS ON SHOW
Ultimate Ears were demoing this nifty box, which allows users to tap into the line to the monitor wedge and and pick off the signal for headphones. It’s an inexpensive way to get on in-ears and -– ultimately, as it were – a gateway to wireless ears
Lucas Nano 602
beyerdynamic TG500
accessories. Using the new Frequency Manager, GLX-D Advanced users can seamlessly and confidently operate up to nine simultaneous systems in typical conditions (11 channels in optimal conditions). With a new rackmountable configuration, GLX-D Advanced allows up to six GLXD4R receivers be linked to a GLX-D Advanced Frequency Manager via the RF ports. Shown for the first time at NAMM, with the plan to launch it at AES, was QSC’s TouchMix 30 Pro. Perfect for production professionals, musicians and bands as well as live performance venues, its 32 mixing channels (24 Mic/Line, 6 Line, Stereo USB) and 16 outputs offer tremendous signal management flexibility for a wide range of applications. Features include a large, 10” multi-touch touchscreen, Anti-Feedback and Room Tuning Wizards, two real-time analysers (RTA) provide instantaneous display of channel tonal balance and room response, the copy and paste function easily duplicates mixes, channels, EQ and dynamics, while there is also the touch-and-route Patch Matrix for easy “multing” and rearrangement of inputs. Plug-in specialist Softube announced the Console 1 Mk II — an upgraded version of its hardware/software mixing system. The new console offers support for selected UAD Powered Plug-ins from Universal Audio. Solid State Logic revealed a significant V2.1 update to Sigma, SSL’s Remote Controlled Analogue Summing
In case you missed our preview of products online, here’s a brief summary of what else was on show… Allen & Heath debuted the dLive C Class – a new compact range of surfaces and mixracks which opens up its dLive platform to a wider spectrum of AV, installation and live event roles. There are three new MixRacks in the series – CDM32, CDM48 and CDM64, plus three new control Surfaces, the 19” rack mountable C1500, C2500 and twin screen C3500. New from interface specialist Antelope Audio was a Synergy Bundle for its Thunderbolt and USB interfaces. Each interface now comes packaged with a special Antelope Audio version of the PreSonus Studio One 3 Artist DAW platform, as well as six plug-ins from Overloud Audio for use in crossplatform DAW software. beyerdynamic unveiled the TG 500 system, which is available in five sets, each of which contains an individual receiver and two removable antennas. D.A.S. revealed two new products – the Ovi 12 – a two-way loudspeaker system and the Sound Force SF-158, a three-way, full-range system. A new Anaview audio transformer with a wide frequency response for distributed audio systems was unveiled by the ETAL Group. Fostex introduced the TE04 Series Stereo Earphones which have specially tuned, 8mm dynamic drivers and closed housing. IsoAcoustics debuted the ISO-PUCK, the company’s new low-profile, round model of acoustic isolators. The ISO-PUCK is designed to isolate speakers and amplifiers in a highly discrete manner. JoeCo announced a further addition to the BLUEBOX range of workstation interface recorders – the BBWR24B – a 24-channel unit in a single 19” rack-mounted unit. Mesanovic Microphones showed its newly released Model 2AS ribbon microphone. It contains Mesanovic’s signature motor structure and custom designed resonator plates to provide the Mixer. This free update introduces Eucon control and three new AAX, AU and VST3/VST format plug-ins; a new 16 channel plug-in brings Logic compatibility for the first time and new Mix Bus and Monitoring plug-ins streamline session control and recall. Waves Audio unveiled the Waves Dugan Speech plug-in for automatic control of multiple mic gains, designed for integrated use inside the eMotion LV1 live mixing console. The company also announced it
extended, detailed, and 3D like response found in the Model 2, 2S, and 2A. The Neumann KH 80 DSP monitoring loudspeaker was launched, which employs digital signal processing. The upcoming Neumann.Control app will automatically calibrate the speaker system. PMC announced two additions – the new MB3 and BB6 – which are ultra-high-resolution active monitors with digital and analogue inputs, designed for freestanding or soffit-mounted use in recording, mixing, mastering and outside broadcast dLIVE C1500 applications, and available as single- or twin-cabinet versions. New from PreSonus was the FaderPort 8 Mix Production Controller, which connects via USB 2.0 to provide precise tactile control over a favourite DAW’s mix and automation functions, including complete transport control. RCF presented the HDL6-A – a smaller version of the active two-way line arrays featuring two 6.5” midrange drivers with a 1” compression driver on a 100° x 10° waveguide, powered by an on-board 1400W dual channel amplifier. RME launched the new Fireface UFX II audio interface, which combines flexible recording and playback operation with RME’s low-latency hardware and drivers. RME’s unique DURec (Direct USB Recording) function and TotalMix FX mixing and routing software. Visitors were the first to see the Sennheiser XS Wireless 1, a series of six wireless microphone sets and XS Wireless 2 radio microphone series, which will become available later in 2017 and take the benefits of XSW 1 further. It also launched the new HD 200 Pro headphones, alongside new frequency variants for the evolution wireless 300 G3 and 500 G3 series for the USA and Canada. Sennheiser also presented the AMBEO VR Mic and mobile recording microphones designed in collaboration with Apogee Electronics. was shipping the Waves Abbey Road Vinyl Plugi-n – a precise model of Abbey Road Studios’ vinyl cutting and playback gear, designed to give music the vintage warmth of vinyl records played on classic turntables and needles. The Waves Primary Source Expander (PSE) plug-in was also released. PSE lets users reduce stage bleed and sensitivity to feedback when a mic is idle by automatically lowering mic levels between musical. n www.namm.org
www.psneurope.com/business 8-10 Business_News v1SSDR 2 corrections.indd 3
24/01/2017 20:34
35 Years xy
d&b is 35. Juanma is d&b. Juanma de Casas provides Application and Service Support at d&b Spain. He’s been on board since 2008. “d&b is a family of sound lovers. With our passionate ears we are always looking ahead to the future… for human answers.” In 35 years d&b has evolved from a small garage venture to a worldwide standard in professional sound systems. It’s people like Juanma who make this story possible, and just that bit different from the rest.
Welcome to System reality. Full Page Template.indd 1
18/01/2017 08:44:27
P12 FEBRUARY 2017
Vocal channel
What’s so ‘automatic’ about ADR?
D DAVID HAMILTON-SMITH
is a sound engineer working in post-production
ialogue, whether in a film, drama or documentary, often has to be re-recorded for a variety of reasons. Some examples include: extraneous, unwanted noises on set; technical problems like audible lighting buzz or distortion; an actor’s attempts at the accent he or she swore they could do falls short of acceptable; a director wants a “different performance”; it’s a sci-fi film and everyone’s voices are re-recorded and made to sound more ‘futuristic’. The Americans call the activity ‘looping’. Film studios, where this art began, would take a performance line by line and create hundreds of circular film loops, with a matching audio mag track, that repeated round-and-round until the artist got it right. Before these sessions some poor projectionist had the unenviable task of splicing together each individual loop from
a copy of the film. No wonder they avoided using the term ‘automatic’! Here in the UK we call it ADR, or Automatic Dialogue Replacement. Why? In my experience there’s precious little that’s ‘automatic’ about it! Now before I am sued by various DAW and software manufacturers, I am fully aware of the various tools at my disposal to help me when I need to do ADR: stacking takes; naming; recalling; having the script in vision; various audio and video cues. These aid the recording, but do not automatically put the actor in sync. Some thespians are superb at hearing what they did and repeating their timing and intonation precisely. The vast majority are not. I do not wish to be reminded of the number of times I have performed dialogue replacement that went on and on, to the point where the director, the artist and I have gone
completely lip blind: Director: “That was out – late I think.” Artist: “I thought I nailed it that time!” Me: “I thought it was a frame early!” A few hours of this and I defy anyone not to lose critical judgement. It would be great if there was a software product that could synchronise all the newly recorded voices with their originals in one go automatically. “Haven’t you heard of Synchro Arts Vocalign Pro and Revoice Pro?” I hear you shout. Yes. And they are superb. However, even with these powerful plug-ins I still spent three days recently re-syncing ADR recordings on a movie line-by-line while I found the best setting on each line. The ADR was so soft, I couldn’t put more than one line in at a time. So, I am campaigning to drop the ‘ADR’ abbreviation in favour of the far more accurate ‘DR’ - Dialogue Replacement. It will probably take a lot of hours, but at least we won’t expect it to be done ‘automatically’. n
www.psneurope.com/business 12 Columniosts v1FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:03
8-CHANNEL AMPLIFIER PLATFORM
SIMPLIFY YOUR MISSION CRITICAL AUDIO SYSTEM
Redundant Dante™ and output routing GPO, remote on/off swithc and MAIN/AUX input select In-depth network and remote control Redundant power supply 8x8 Input / Output matrix Highest level DSP with multi-stage signal processing Suitable for mixed lo-Z and 70/100 V loads Up to 1500W per channel @ 4Ω
Designed and manufactured in Italy
PS_Ottocanali_MissionCritical_PSNE_Feb.indd 1 Full Page Template.indd 1
powersoft-audio.com
23/01/17 17:38 24/01/2017 11:02:23
P14 FEBRUARY 2017
Movers and shakers
RØDE Microphones names new CEO New products on the horizon means a period of great change, says founder
R
ØDE Microphones’ sales and marketing director Damien Wilson has been promoted to CEO of The Freedman Electronics Group, home to pro-audio brands RØDE, Aphex, Event Electronics and now SoundField. Wilson will take over the everyday management of the group’s business, giving founder and managing director Peter Freedman more opportunity to embrace his passions within the companies, including product conception and development, manufacturing innovation and brand acquisition. Freedman says: “In November, The Freedman Electronics Group recorded its biggest ever month in business, and with fantastic new product offerings from RØDE, Event, Aphex and SoundField all on the horizon, it will be a period of great change and, we predict, even larger growth. I can think of no better person to guide the various brands and departments through these great opportunities than Damien.” Adds Wilson: “This challenge is the right move at
the right time. I love RØDE and the pro audio industry – which remains full of blue sky potential – and look forward to building further upon our world class team and capability in all brands and departments. Ultimately, we want to keep creating incredible products that enable our customers’ creativity. It’s a terrific opportunity.” n www.rode.com
Powersoft has appointed Klas Dalbjörn as product manager. The former Lab. gruppen research manager will add considerable strength and gravitas to the development team, the company says. www.powersoft-audio.com
POLARaudio has created a new professional audio division, with Nick Turner joining as the division’s UK sales manger. Turner has more than 10 years experience working at Adlib Audio in sales and installation. www.polaraudio.co.uk
dB Broadcast has expanded its commercial team with the appointment of Chris Whelan as business development manager. He will be responsible for the sale of services, system projects and dB’s products. www.dbbroadcast.co.uk
Mike Docksey has joined the team at A.C. Entertainment Technologies in a key external UK sales role. Previously he was at Adlib. He will be primarily based in North England, but is expected to cover customers nationwide. www.ac-et.com
MUSIC has appointed Van Williamson as the vice president of installed sound. Formerly, he was leading Harman Professional’s global installed sound division. MUSIC is continuing to hire due to growth. www.music-group.com
Eastern Acoustic Works has named Nancy Dias to the new position of customer experience coordinator. Dias will oversee the customer service experience and assist the sales, marketing, service and operations teams. www.eaw.com
DEALER NETWORK Community Professional Loudspeakers has appointed Schneider Audio Concept Vertriebs GmbH (SAC) as its distributor for Austria. Comments Community’s EMEA sales manager, Jamie Ward: “SAC has a well-established network of installers and integrators in the installation sector and will provide Community with great distribution, Equally important is their first class technical backup and support for customers.” SAC’s Christian Muhm adds: “Community has a proven track record for performance and reliability and it has substantially developed and refined its product offering in recent years. Its outdoor, distributed and engineered systems approach provides a comprehensive range of outstanding loudspeakers. It is complementary to the brands we distribute and enhances the solutions we can provide to cover a wider range of applications.” www.communitypro.com www.sac.co.at Calrec Audio has recruited Noretron Broadcast as its exclusive distributor in Finland and Estonia. The company will distribute Calrec’s complete product line in the region, including the new compact Brio console. Says Timo Vilmi, owner of Noretron Broadcast: “The Calrec Audio brand is truly the gold standard in digital audio consoles, and Calrec is a powerful addition to our portfolio. We’re particularly excited about Brio, which will help us reach new customers who need a well-priced compact mixing console completely designed around the needs of broadcasters.” Adds Mike Reddick, international sales manager at Calrec Audio: “Noretron Broadcast provides the perfect blend of technology expertise with knowledge of the local market and its customers’ unique requirements. Noretron is the perfect company to help us expand our presence in Finland and Estonia. Our new partnership provides our customers with a local knowledgeable source for their broadcast solutions.” www.noretron.fi www.calrec.com Tascam is taking over the UK distribution of ART (Applied Research and Technology) pro audio products. ART has over 30 years experience of designing and manufacturing signal processing equipment for the pro audio and music industry. Used extensively from the studio through to live performances, the ART product portfolio includes vacuum tube preamplifiers and compressors, graphic equalisers, a wide-range of microphones and headphone amplifiers and a full complement of tools designed for stage and studio use. Neil Wells, general manager of Tascam UK, says: “We are delighted to be distributing the excellent range of ART pro audio products. Not only does the range offer outstanding value for money but also the quality level very much suited to the professional studio environment. Perfectly complementing our Tascam range of recording solutions, we fully expect that ART products will continue to build upon the company’s already formidable reputation.” www.tascam.com www.artproaudio.com
www.psneurope.com/business 14-15 Appointments FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:13
P15 FEBRUARY 2017
Orbital Sound has hired Damon Crisp as a field sales representative to expand the company’s reach into new markets around the UK. As Nexo’s main UK dealer, and with new product launches scheduled, he will be at the forefront of promotion. www.orbitalsound.com
Mark Davies has also been hired by TSL Products to the role of director of products and technology. He will be responsible for the product management and development team and deliver essential technology and products to market. He has 30 years of broadcast industry experience and most recently was at Grass Valley. www.tslproducts.com
Anna Csontos has been promoted to the position of vice president, chief of staff at QSC. She will oversee the legal department and the systems business development teams. She will also continue to lead the application engineering team and execute various strategic initiatives for the company. www.qsc.com
Metropolis Studios has also appointed Gavin Newman (right) to the new position of event and content director. He will drive new commercial and content partnerships across recording, production and labels. Newman most recently served as head of online and music at private members club, The Hospital Club. www.thisismetropolis.com
Stage Tec has engaged experienced industry insider, Andreas ‘Igl’ Schönwitz, as a freelancer for their sales division. He will sell products in the studio market. His company,Tonstudio Rauschenberg, equips turnkey sound studios. stagetec.com
Richard Ferriday joins SSL as product manager of live. Previously with LMC, Midas Klark Teknik, and Cadac, Ferriday will continue to develop SSL’s growing live product range. Ferriday teams up with Nathan Hernando who, as business development manager, has done much to develop SSL’s live business. www.solidstatelogic.com
Perry Celia has also been promoted by QSC to senior director, domestic sales for the professional business unit. He has spent the past eight years at the company, holding a variety of sales management positions. He was previously vice president/partner at Sound Marketing West. www.qsc.com
Thomas Dale has joined GearSource Europe at its new South Darenth headquarters in the UK. His role is to develop new business – both within the UK and overseas – working alongside UK staff, while also providing back-up to colleagues in Russia, Italy and the US office in Florida. www.gearsourceeurope.com
Thilo Schütz also joins Stage Tec as a sales representative. Schütz will focus on sales of AURUS, Crescendo and NEXUS for use in theatres. He previously worked as the director of marketing and sales at AFMG Technologies GmbH in Berlin. stagetec.com
TSL Products has appointed Karlie Miles to the role of worldwide sales director. Miles is responsible for global sales operations, as well as managing key customer accounts and partners across the world. She joins from Vitec Videocom. www.tslproducts.com
John Hourihane is the new director of product management for SSL and becomes part of the senior management team. He has extensive experience in product management with Harman Professional, Gibson Brands, Stanton Group and iZotope. Hourihane will oversee all three markets – studio, broadcast and live. www.solidstatelogic.com
Andy Jackson returns to SSL as product manager of studios. He brings valuable studio experience to the role as a successful producer/ engineer, and already has pedigree with SSL as product specialist and product manager in the studio market. He will report to Hourihane. joining 50 others in SSL’s R&D team. www.solidstatelogic.com
Arnie Marx, QSC’s new senior director of software development, has spent 16 years at the company overseeing software and firmware developments, including the Q-Sys Designer releases. In his new role, he will continue to oversee software development for the company’s Boulder and Costa Mesa teams. www.qsc.com
Metropolis has appointed former Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO, Max Hole, as the group’s new non-executive chairman. Hole has joined the Metropolis board to assist the company on wider strategic issues across music and entertainment alliances. He is also on the board of the BRIT Trust. www.thisismetropolis.com
Al Mouat or “Big Al” - as he is known – joins the Adlib sales team at the Liverpool HQ. Mouat, who is 6 ft. 7, brings a wealth of experience as a production, tour and stage manager, with knowledge in the minefield of radio frequencies, touring packages and the administration required to co-ordinate for artists touring. www.adlib.co.uk
Genelec appointed Morten Laulund Uldbæk to the position of area sales manager for Denmark. With 15 years experience in the pro-audio business, his move will expand Genelec’s presence throughout the country, drawing on a network of dealers, while offering support to existing companies. www.genelec.com
www.psneurope.com/business 14-15 Appointments FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:13
P16 FEBRUARY 2017
New courses for RCF Audio Academy hopefuls in Reggio Emilia
BY SARAH SHARPLES
February 7-10
ISE 2017 Amsterdam, Netherlands www.iseeurope.org
February 8-9
HiQnet Audio Architect Letchworth Garden City, UK www.soundtech.co.uk
February 14
Demystifying Digital Wireless Microphones Online sennheiser.com
February 21
Design & Installation of Hearing Loop Systems Leighton Buzzard, UK www.isce.org.uk
RCF Audio Academy is offering a sound engineering university course organised by the Department of Science and Methods for Engineering at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The course aims to provide engineers with specific knowledge of state-of-the-art technologies related to sound, transducers and speaker systems and their applications in the professional market. It is organised in modules, taking the participants through a learning process from the basis of electro-acoustics components like transducers, amplifiers and digital processors through to the
design of a complete audio project based on a real case study. An international reference project carried out by RCF engineers will be used as a studying guideline to be followed during the course. Learning topics are grouped into four modules – environmental acoustics, transducers and speaker systems, electronics and sound system design. The course is held in English and starts on March 20, with e-learning and a week’s attendance from May 15-19 in Reggio Emilia, Italy. n www.soundengineering.unimore.it
Sennheiser launches digital product library BY SARAH SHARPLES
Sennheiser has released a new app, which offers access to all product manuals, spec sheets and other technical documents on the company’s products. The app has been designed to give B2B-clients, system integrators and end-users quick and easy access to product information, via smartphones and tablets.
Documents are also enhanced with audio and video content. Users can access the documents in different language versions at any time – either online or as offline downloads. Sebastian Daube, head of documentation at Sennheiser says: “By making the documentation app available to our customers, we provide them with a solution that is much more convenient than the PDF manuals that have been available to date.” He adds: “The app not only helps us to provide our customers with any available product information in the flexible, responsive HTML 5 format but it also allows us to embed additional audio, video and 3D elements. In this way, the app is letting us elevate our documentation offering to a new level and ensures that we are always providing our customers with information they need – how they want it and when they want it.“ The documentation app is now available for iOs and for Android-systems. n www.sennheiser.com
MIDAS embraces European users with console training BY SARAH SHARPLES
MIDAS took its console training across Europe with courses completed in the UK, Germany and Spain. The events, designed and delivered by MIDAS senior solutions manager Daniel Paine, were hosted in partnership with local MIDAS distributors Amplified, thomann Audio Professionnell and Adagio. Tailored for a range of mixed-ability users, from beginner to advanced, the training covered the entire MIDAS and Klark Teknik product portfolio and included configuration solutions for a range of applications. Trainees were taught basics such as linking front of house and monitor desks, transferring audio between different desks and recording features using the KT DN9650 with Dante card. The course then advanced into more specific mixing skills, such as automation, which showed users how to move between different show scenes and carry out alterations. Trainees were also taught MIDAS tips and tricks in relation to the MIDAS surface workflow. Users interested in participating in MIDAS console training should contact their local MIDAS distributor. n www.midasconsoles.com
www.psneurope.com/training 16 18 Training FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:14
P18 FEBRUARY 2017
PSN TRAINING
Seminar explores techniques for modern sound systems BY SARAH SHARPLES Soulsound is hosting a four-day seminar programme that will explore Calibration and Design Techniques for Modern Sound Systems. The programme, which is aimed at intermediate and experienced sound engineers, will be held at The Crypt, Christchurch Spitalfields, Commercial St, London from 20-23 February. Presented by experienced sound and system engineer, Merlijn van Veen, the seminars are intended to remove the ‘magic’ surrounding sound systems. They will provide participants with the means to create predictable sound system designs, regardless of the brand and type of speaker, and then verify the results using the dual channel FFT analyser (SIM 3, SMAART v7, SysTune, etc.). Merlijn will investigate the complete
transmission path from source to receiver in the acoustical, electrical and psychoacoustical domains. He explains: “After completion of the seminar programme, sound engineers will be able to provide themselves with the same reference over and over again, like a painter who begins each painting with a blank canvas. The system engineers will be able to design a system that delivers the mixing position sound to the entire audience.” Soulsound founder Darryn de la Soul adds: “We presented this seminar in London last year in February and it was a huge success. It was great to see lightbulbs switching on in people’s heads and misconceptions being replaced with demonstrable fact.” n www.soulsound.co.uk
Southampton Solent Uni’s studio investment with Allen & Heath
EM Acoustics selected for Chetham’s School of Music
BY SARAH SHARPLES
BY SARAH SHARPLES
UK-based Southampton Solent University invested in Allen & Heath’s dLive digital mixing system, as part of a comprehensive upgrade to its television studio teaching facilities. A dLive S5000 surface with DM32 MixRack is in use in the TV control room for the main TV programme mix, with an additional dLive S3000 surface with DM32 employed as part of a movable PA system set-up. An Allen & Heath GLD-112 mixer with AR2412 IO rack also acts as a fixed FOH mixer for the permanent studio floor house speaker system. “The dLives fit into a Dante-enabled
system that combines the audio sources from across the facility – there are three separate areas as well as links to other TV studios,” explains Ian Luxford, technical instructor (media and arts) and studio engineer, “So any of the mixers will be able to pick up any source as necessary. We have a 24-way mic stage box which now goes as an analogue split into each of the system’s DM32 and AR2412 MixRacks – it’s a very flexible set-up that offers our students invaluable experience of modern high-end production tools.” n www.allen-heath.com
Situated in the heart of Manchester’s medieval quarter, Chetham’s School of Music is the largest specialist music school in the UK and the only one in the north of England. It is also home to Manchester’s new performance venue – the Stoller Hall – which is due to be inaugurated in April this year. With acoustic design by Arup, Chetham turned to specialist consultants Theatre Projects to specify the sound and communications systems which were installed by Northern Light. The sound reinforcement system was an EM Acoustics HALO-C system supplemented by EMS-51s. Theatre Projects’ senior consultant John Riddell says: “It was important to us to match the natural acoustic with a loudspeaker system that produces a flat response and requires as little
processing as possible; something we know we can rely on EM Acoustics to provide.” The space will be used for a wide variety of performances, ranging from unamplified ensemble and orchestral work where the arrays will be quickly raised out of sight, to jazz, electronic and acoustic-electric programs, as well as the spoken word. TP equipment designer Pablo Riñón worked with EM Acoustics’ Ed Kinsella to design the system, ultimately settling on a pair of HALO-C arrays comprising six HALO-C cabinets plus a HALO-CS compact subwoofer per side for the main rig, supplemented by six EMS-51 ultra-compact full range enclosures for platform in-fill. The system is powered by a pair of EM Acoustics AQ-10s and an AQ-3 power amplifier. n www.emacoustics.co.uk
www.psneurope.com/training 16 18 Training FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:14
PROFESSIONAL
ShowMatch™ DeltaQ™ loudspeakers provide better coverage for outstanding vocal clarity. ©2017 Bose Corporation.
With DeltaQ technology, new ShowMatch array loudspeakers more precisely
Full Page Template.indd 1
direct sound to the audience in both installed and portable applications. Each array module offers field-changeable waveguides that can vary coverage and even create asymmetrical patterns. The result is unmatched sound quality and vocal clarity for every seat in the house. Learn more at SHOWMATCH.BOSE.COM
NEXT-GENERATION ARRAY TECHNOLOGY
17/01/2017 10:26:18
CClass
35% more compact, 100% dLive Experience next generation digital mixing with the full power of dLive’s 96kHz XCVI processing core, intuitive Harmony UI and DEEP embedded plugins. Now in an agile new compact class.
3 new Surfaces + 3 new MixRack sizes Includes 19” rack mountable C1500 surface 128 inputs / 16 FX returns / 64 configurable busses Dante, Waves, MADI + Optical option cards Full dLive ecosystem - apps, software, expanders + remotes
ALLEN&HEATH
WWW.ALLEN-HEATH.COM/DLIVE
Full Page Template.indd 1
13/01/2017 11:15:27
P20 FEBRUARY 2017
New products
APART AUDIO
CM DESIGN SPEAKER LINE What is it? The Belgian brand say the speakers, which are available in two different sizes, were created to offer simple, elegant integration into all interior environments. Details: Speakers are available in both 6.5” and 8” sizes, delivering power outputs of 60W and 100W respectively. A thin edge grille and integrated neodymium grille fixing magnets ensure that the new series is both unobtrusive and easy to install, with Apart’s Quick Fix connectors used for speaker connections – avoiding the need for junction boxes and reducing installation time and costs, the company says. And another thing… Clear power tap labelling on the speakers’ transformers also aids quick and easy set-up. www.apart-audio.com
B&C
RCF
PENN ELCOM
What is it? Building on the recently released 18RBX100 high performance ferrite subwoofer, B&C Speakers has added a 15” alternative to the RBX range. The RBX series motor structures were designed from the ground up using creative industrial design, says Ron Tizzard, director of sales.
What is it? A complete range of passive speakers, from 5” to 12”, which are ideal for small-to-medium size projects, for distributed systems, or as a complement to the RCF Compact or H Series Models.
What is it? A cooling unit for active heat management in cupboards, closets and other enclosed environments. The operating low noise specification of just 22.5 dB suits theatres, conference and lecture halls and board rooms.
Details: The 15RBX100 high output subwoofer features a 25mm high, 4” diameter copper wire voice coil that is combined with a laminated double silicone spider, water resistant curvilinear cone, and triple roll surround – for even more excursion and linearity, the company says.
Details: High sensitivity thanks to the use of oversized magnets, and a comfortable sound quality with smooth and wide frequency response, performed with the Kapton diaphragm compression driver loaded on a constant directivity horn. The LICC crossover design includes an electronic protection on high frequency device.
Details: Fitting into sealed enclosures housing 19” racking systems and server, the powerful 28 CFM (cubic feet of air moved per metre) airflow shifts 47.6 cubic metres per hour at 2,000RPM.
And another thing… The corrosion resistant motor structure incorporates an aluminum demodulation ring that effectively controls inductive rise as well as harmonic and intermodulation distortion. www.bcspeakers.com
And another thing… The mounting accessories allow the speakers to be wall or ceiling-mounted, with several possible applications, including VESA Standard mounting facilities on the rear of the cabinets. www.rcf.it
RBX SERIES
MEDIA SERIES
FT80-Q
And another thing… A thermal sensor accessory can be plugged in to the temperature sensor socket, which is set to start operating at 40ºC, and will reset at +30º or -2ºC. It is supplied with an acrylic adhesive pad to be positioned in an area where it can detect the ambient temperature of the equipment being cooled. www.pennelcomonline.com
www.psneurope.com/technology 20 22 Products FIn.indd 1
24/01/2017 20:02
FABRIC’s NEW SOUND XY-SERIES
Few nightclubs in the world are as synonymous with sound as London’s fabric. Since 1999, clubbers have travelled from across Europe to hear the underground dance music and powerful audio systems the club is famed for. fabric’s team constantly strives to create the best dancefloor experience possible and recently partnered with Pioneer Pro Audio to install a new sound system in the club’s 500-capacity Room Two. The versatile XY Series was the natural choice to deliver the full dynamic range and even coverage in the awkwardly shaped space. Even the most discerning audiophiles have been blown away.
Pioneerproaudio | pioneerproaudio.com | #madeintheuk
Full Page Template.indd 1 PRO-AUDIO-FABRIC_PSNE_DEC2016.indd 1
23/01/2017 12:21:53 09/12/2016 13:14
P22 FEBRUARY 2017
New products
ALLEN & HEATH DLIVE C CLASS
What is it? A new compact range of Surfaces and MixRacks, which opens up the company’s dLive platform to a wider spectrum of AV, installation and live event roles. Details: There are three new MixRacks in the series – CDM32, CDM48 and CDM64, plus three new control Surfaces, the 19” rack mountable C1500, C2500 and twin screen C3500. The MixRacks house the XCVI Core, providing capacity for 128 inputs with full processing and 16 dedicated stereo FX returns, plus a fully configurable 64 mix bus architecture, with full processing on all mix channels. Each surface and rack has a 128 channel I/O port, supported by a wide array of networking cards, including Dante, Waves, MADI and fibreACE optical. And another thing… The C Class Surfaces employ the dLive Harmony UI, offering gesture touch control via 12” capacitive screens allied to colour-mapped rotary controls, allowing the creativity and immediacy of tactile control over key processing. www.allen-heath.com
ADAM AUDIO
MEYER SOUND
WHARFEDALE PRO
What is it? A range of nearfield, midfield and main studio monitors for audio recording and production professionals.
What is it? A compact cinema subwoofer which gives sound designers and sound editors working in smaller studios confidence that their LFE content will translate accurately and seamlessly into the final mix, as well as into commercial exhibition and home theatre distribution, the company says.
What is it? Passive loudspeakers that are perfect for sound reinforcement installations where discreet aesthetics, high coverage angles and SPL are critical, the company says.
S SERIES
Details: The S Series is comprised of five models of increasing size, the S2V, S3H, S3V and the largestof-the-range S5V and S5H. Innovations created specifically include: completely new, highly efficient long throw Extended Linear Excursion woofers; one-piece dome/cone hybrid mid-range driver for excellent dispersion, low distortion and high power handling, newly designed waveguides for the tweeter and a high-power DSP engine. The series also marks the debut of S-ART tweeter, the company’s accelerated ribbon design. And another thing… The cabinets are constructed from thick, vibration resistent material to reduce unwanted resonance and coloration, even at the highest listening levels. www.adam-audio.com
AMIE-SUB
Details: A self-powered unit specifically designed to complement the Amie Precision Studio Monitor. It provides high power output and excellent transient reproduction, with ample headroom for low distortion and a frequency range extending from 125Hz to 25Hz. It incorporates a 15” long-excursion driver and a convection-cooled amplifier. And another thing… Amie was designed in consultation with film sound professionals to ensuren tracks and pre-mixes will require little or no re-balancing or equalisation in the final mix. www.meyersound.com
SIGMA V4 AND V8
Details: Both new models use multiple 3” full range transducers for warm lows and crystal clear highs. The V4 uses four transducers while the larger V8 uses eight. The optimised transducer alignment delivers minimal anti-aliasing effects and maximum phase alignment. With Ultra-wide horizontal dispersion, V4 and V8 have been voiced to work perfectly with other passive models in the SIGMA range. Mounting bracket hardware is included. And another thing… Both models are supplied with swivel/tilt mounting brackets and are available in black or white finishes. www.wharfedalepro.com
www.psneurope.com/technology 20 22 Products FIn.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:16
MK 4 digital
STUDIO SOUND TO GO.
Finally.
MK 4 digital: A mobile studio for entering the true condenser level The MK 4 digital unites the high-resolution sound of a true condenser microphone with the simplicity and finesse of digital solutions. The sensitive A/D conversion is provided by high-end Apogee technology Be it in the rehearsal room or in interviews: The MK 4 digital is easy to handle and can be used with iOS devices and with laptops. Unrivalled studio sound is now available anywhere.
Full Page Template.indd 1
Connects directly to • iPhone® • iPad® • iPod touch® • Mac® • PC
24/01/2017 16:21:15
FEBRUARY 2017
Studio
Photo credit: Judy Totton
P24
MONTSERRAT
…Or how the self-proclaimed ‘Two Hit Wonder’ brought recording back to Montserrat more than 25 years after the demise of AIR Studios’ legendary facilities on the island. David Davies reports
T
o fans of a 1970s vintage, it is his ‘77 hit with Wild Willy Barrett, Really Free, with which John Otway will always be most closely identified. For those who started following the moves of this most maverick of British singer/songwriters a generation later, it will be 2002’s Bunsen Burner that looms most prominently in the memory banks. In the quarter-century between the two hits… well, even by Otway’s own admission, he wasn’t exactly causing chart-compilers too many sleepless nights. But through continued releases and – more crucially – an intensive touring schedule of the kind that puts his hero Bob Dylan’s so-called Never-Ending Tour to shame, he has cultivated a sizeable and extremely loyal fanbase. Having received the enthusiastic financial support of his audience for a number of previous wheezes – not least a documentary film, Rock and Roll’s Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie, in 2012 – it was always likely that they would get behind plans for his first full album of new material in more than a decade. And fortunately, Otway knew exactly where to record it… “I had a fan who had invited me to go to Montserrat, where he lived, and around the same time I saw a documentary about Sir George Martin,” he says, alluding to The Beatles producer’s founding of AIR Studios Montserrat in the late 1970s. Adding to the sense that this was destiny, the first song completed for the project was entitled Dancing With Ghosts, and “it occurred to me that we were dancing with the ghosts of how things used to be done – in terms of bands going away somewhere to record an album – as well as the ghosts of the recording that had taken place in Montserrat during the 1980s.” Turning to Kickstarter to fund the project, Otway informed fans that £10,000 would enable the album “to be recorded in my guitarist’s garage in Essex!” If the fund reached £30,000 they could both record in Monsterrat and enlist Grammy Award-winner Chris Birkett to produce. With nearly £40,000 raised by the time the campaign closed, there was no question that the new Otway opus would be brought into the world under Caribbean skies…
The (new) Basement Tapes Otway’s first notable challenge upon arriving in the
Otway in the temporary studio, set up in the basement of Olveston House, a villa linked to the late Sir George Martin
island for a reccy in January 2016 was to find a suitable recording venue. The former AIR premises were “a no-no for various reasons” – not least the impact of Hurricane Hugo, which led to the studios’ closure in 1989. Eventually, after considering a number of spaces, it was determined that the basement of Olveston House – which has a long association with the Martin family and is now primarily used as a guest house – would be the ideal location. “The basement area used to be a cinema and radio station, and it was really the perfect size to host the band and put a studio in there,” he recalls. Turning it into a workable studio – however temporary – was never going to be without challenges, but fortunately Otway had several distinguished collaborators to call upon. A part-time resident of the island, musician and composer Peter Filleul has been a regular presence in PSNEurope over the years in his capacity as former executive director of the APRS. Malcolm Atkin – the current APRS chairman – should also require little in the way of introduction, having served as general manager of AIR Studios for 14 years before the Millennium and, more recently, as managing director of Sphere Studios. Most pertinently
IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE WERE DANCING WITH THE GHOSTS OF HOW THINGS USED TO BE DONE
JOHN OTWAY
www.psneurope.com/studio 24-25 John Otway v1FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:18
P25 FEBRUARY 2017
The governor of Montserrat, Elizabeth Carriere, is a big fan!
Performing for his fans, who made the venture possible via crowdfunding
in this case, though, he was technical manager of AIR Montserrat throughout the ‘80s and even helped pack up the studio after the hurricane hit. Filleul had joined Otway on the initial reccy, and agreed that the basement area – lined as it was with peg-board tiles – had a “very dead acoustic sound and could be [ideal for our purposes].” With the owner’s agreement secured, Filleul began to examine the practicalities of “putting in air-conditioning, decent lights and so on. And I thought who is the person most likely to know about all this? Well, it has to be Malcolm…” In fact, Atkin had not returned to Monsterrat “bar one night, since 1990, which was pre-volcano [the island was the subject of a devastating volcanic eruption in 1995]. So quite apart from the project – which sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun – it was nice to have the chance to go back and reconnect with the island, which is a magical place.” Of course, the passing of Sir George in March 2016 added poignancy to the prospective project, although pleasingly for Otway he had been made aware that the legendary producer “liked the idea of someone carrying on the tradition of recording on the island”.
One of Filleul’s most important contributions to the budget-sensitive project was to highlight the fact that “the cost of bringing a lot of amps, guitars, etc, over from London was going to be greater than buying new ones in America and then leaving them behind.” Hence, a substantial amount of MI gear was purchased in Miami for use on the album, and has now been bequeathed to the island. (They were also fortunate enough to be able to use a drum kit once used by The Police’s Stewart Copeland during the sessions.) Although observing with a laugh that his duties included regular replenishment of the beer supplies, Filleul notes that “everyone was incredibly wellorganised. Otway has great musicians and they were highly rehearsed before the sessions, so it was all fairly straightforward.” Indeed, the bulk of the recording was completed in one week, with Otway doing some additional overdubs
after leaving Monsterrat. At the time of his conversation with PSNEurope, he was in the midst of mixing the album, to be entitled (logically enough) MONTSERRAT and released “in all the usual ways” this spring. “Everyone knew their parts in advance, and the way it was recorded really gives it a lot of energy – it feels like a very exciting album,” says Otway. He’s also proud to be restarting a tradition of recording on the island that was brought to a halt with the Rolling Stones’ Steel Wheels – the 1989 album that was recorded in the wake of Mick ‘n’ Keef’s notorious mid-‘80s bust-up and is not exactly up there in the pantheon of all-time Stones classics. “However, I want to make it clear that it is a much better album than Steel Wheels,” says Otway with a chuckle, “so really we will be helping to help get the island’s musical status back to where it should be!” n For more information on the recording and release of MONTSERRAT, please visit www.johnotway.com
Channelling Heath Robinson Atkin and Filleul set to work in early September 2016, transforming the basement into a studio “in a very hectic six days… The air-conditioning was a bit of a Heath Robinson set-up, which Otway thought was brilliant. [With this project] it was very much a case of grabbing what was around you; it was a ‘pop-up’ with what we might call ‘industrial finishes’! But it worked really well,” says Atkin. Capturing the four-piece Otway band – with Filleul occasionally guesting on keyboards – was a laptopbased system running Pro Tools. “We were just going through a Focusrite I/O straight into the laptop,” says Atkin. “It goes to show what you can do with some expert knowledge and a few suitcases of equipment!”
The derelict AIR Studios, closed by a hurricane in 1989
www.psneurope.com/studio 24-25 John Otway v1FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:18
P26 FEBRUARY 2017
Studio
UNITED KINGDOM
Don’t make him angry… You won’t like him quite as much when he’s angry. But you’ll still like him... David Goodall – fight arranger and musician – wrestles words with Isaiah Bird
D
avid Goodall is a violent man. But he hides it well. Too well. On the surface, his smile is benign, his face open and expansive, his eyes kind. He’s a good guy really, right? And yet, knowing what you know, you can’t help but smile nervously and fidget somewhat, as he tells you about one of his most recent projects: composing music for a piece of modern dance choreography. “The piece is called Four Go Wild In Wellies and it’s by InD4, an inclusive Scottish dance company,” says Goodall. “InD4 are four professional dancers, two of whom have Down’s Syndrome. I was commissioned as composer, along with director Anna Newell and choreographer Stevie Prickett. The music is all live: acoustic instruments from recorders to harps, ukulele to rubbing sheets of paper.” Goodall is a man of many talents and with a lot of fingers in a lot of pies. Actor, producer, award-winning director, composer, photographer, not to mention doing a fine turn in sound design and foreign language overdubbing in French, German, Spanish and Italian: fingerwise, that’s polydactylic. And then, of course, there’s the skillset we’ll get to later when we have the – gulp! – gumption: violence. The dance composition used an Avid S3 desk with Pro Tools, acquired from digital audio specialist Mediaspec. Eric Joseph, MD of Mediaspec, explains what it’s like being Goodall’s ‘go to’ guy for audio support. “David is the modern day equivalent of a one-man band or a jack-of-all-trades,” says Joseph. “He does everything. Sometimes it’s difficult to keep up! One day he’s producer, then he’s director, then he’s doing post or composition, or sound design. You name it, David does it. For a company providing technical support and digital solutions, it’s always a fascinating challenge to
see what hat David is wearing and what new kind of support he requires.” Whatever the hat, the S3 has been able to adapt to his needs. “I recently completed the sound design and score for a sci-fi short called Perfect Worlds by AJ Sykes, about a woman who confronts her past and is dragged into a parallel world,” Goodall says. “There were issues with the location sound and so I was really left with stripping out everything, bar the dialogue, and going back to scratch with Foley, spot FX and ambience. The S3 was a dream on account of the scene memory – with over 100 tracks, it was great being able to work just on Foley or ambiance by recalling a scene.” We’re lucky it was a dream. Otherwise, you know… David Goodall conceals his violent proclivities well. This is a man who knows full well just how to karate-chop you in the neck, knee you in the man bits or insert a finger sharply into one of your eyes. Perhaps he’s skilled in garrotting with a cheese wire. Let’s not even mention his in-depth knowledge of the head-butt. Time to take a deep breath, step back a couple of feet, and ask a question that thus far has dared not thrust its way forward. The dead head in the bed, so to speak: How did mild-mannered, affable David Goodall add ‘fight scene director for TV and film’ as another string to his crossbow? “Well, I’d been doing various martial arts from an early age,” Goodall offers, leaning on his kendo stick. “When I was acting in one of my first professional productions, it was suggested I might use that experience to set a comedy fight. It was a rapier fight, so not really too connected with martial arts, but it all went well, and things built up from there. “The fights and stunts that I’ve done range from full-on martial arts fights – for example with the lovely Miltos Yerolemou (Syria Forel in Game of Thrones) – to
This man could tear you limb from limb!
helping Celia Imrie torture some poor soul. I’ve also been fight director on gritty dramas Rebus and Taggart. “I know what you’re thinking: the violence.” Yes, that is what we’re thinking. “…But what becomes apparent in this line of work is that doing fights is neither macho, nor – oddly enough – violent. Violence might be a necessary thought process for the actors in the final rendition, but my job is to make it fun, make it safe and make it look convincing. Physical action is, like singing, an area where many actors feel vulnerable, and where they put great trust in the fight director to ensure they don’t look daft at the end of it. I respect that trust and try to honour it.” Oh, the joy of violence? In a sense, yes. As with many aspects of TV and film, everything is not always as it appears. “Oddly enough, this philosophy of making work fun and respecting a client’s trust pervades through everything I do: getting clients in the studio for voiceovers or recording their own demos. “The important thing is that they relax and enjoy themselves. Writing music and doing sound design means you will always come up against opposing views and differing opinions, and not always presented tactfully! So, doing the fights – and martial arts in general – has taught me to be patient, and to remove my ego from the equation.” His answer is reassuring. Fight scenes, it would appear, are just another form of artistic struggle, and one where diligence, selflessness and equanimity can win the day. And, it seems, we got it right the first time: this multi-talented gentleman, David Goodall, really is a good, all-round guy. n www.dgoodall.co.uk mediaspec.co.uk
www.psneurope.com/studio 26 Fight guy David Good FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:50
Studio
P27 FEBRUARY 2017
BELGIUM
Futureproofing gear with a nod to vintage
The team behind Vintage Audio Projects have looked at the original construction of 1970s kit and spent a lot of time recreating it. The product quality has become an industry secret that the company is keen to get out there, writes Marc Maes
S
Jurgen Michiels and Gerhard Oostvogels in their workshop
ome four years ago, Gerhard ‘Gerry’ Oostvogels, owner of Rockstar Recordings studio, decided to invest time, research and engineering in the construction of vintage studio gear. From that decision, Vintage Audio Projects evolved. “The idea came because I wanted to add Neve 1073 vintage pre-amps to complete my studio build around an SSL 4000 G+ console,” Oostvogels says. “Neve preamps offer perfect quality but come quite expensive … I noticed the same feeling with one of our engineers, who had invested in Chandler Limited pre-amps and wanted extra Neve gear.” Oostvogels teamed up with Jurgen Michiels, a young expert in valve and audio electronics – with the initial plan to build pre-amps for Rockstar Recordings. Michiels did research in original construction schemes of ‘70s Neve vintage equipment and started the development of printed circuit boards for pre-amps. “The next step was key,” continues Oostvogels. “We put together a few prototypes and submitted them to critical users, like studio engineers and clients of our recording studio. The reactions were unanimously positive, so we decided to carry on and build 50 preamps.” Oostvogels explains that quality rather than price was crucial: he started ordering components like potentiometers, transformers and capacitors worldwide, like handmade Blore-Ed controls and Carnhill
transformers as used in orginal Neve equipment. Whereas the first Dual 1073EQ were built to fit Rockstar’s studio assignments, the pre-amp’s name and fame quickly spread – four units were shipped immediately after the first prototype was installed. “The big challenge was to get the components in time,” continues Oostvogels. “It took us almost one year to finish the next batch of 1073 EQ’s.” One of the Dual 1073 EQ’s was supplied to studio and live musician Tom Lodewijckx, who used the pre-amp in combination with original Neve 500 modules. The live use of the pre-amp inspired Oostvogels and Michiels to develop channel strips for live and studio purposes: the single 1073 EQ and 1084 EQ and the dual 1084 EQ. “For 2017, we plan to build a channel strip of the 1084EQ in combination with a UA1176-based compressor,” adds Michiels. Vintage Audio Project’s catalogue further comprises a DI for bass, the VAP12 and VAP28, both available as 2 channel U rack or as desktop version. Based on All of the pre-amps are built in self-manufactured 19” size aluminium housing the API DI, the slightly modified DI
box was demoed by several bass players. “One of them played a session at Brussels ICP, who has now also ordered a dual VAP28d,” enthuses Oostvogels, adding that, at press time, some 3 DI’s were sold. All of the pre-amps are built in self-manufactured 19” size aluminium housing, with front-panels designed by German manufacturer Schaeffer. Oostvogels says the retail price is determined by the components and handcrafted nature of manufacturing. “The big challenge is to make the industry aware of the product quality – beyond the ‘believer’ network we already established. We eye users who want sustainable products, futureproof and failsafe for the next decades. With no compromises in terms of components and quality,” he says. Comments studio engineer Peter Bulkens: “I decided to buy four 4 dual 1073EQ preamps after having compared the prototype with my Chandler LTD-1 during a vocal recording session. I shifted both preamps blindly and guess what – the 1073 came out as superior, with a much more powerful voice without any measurable volume level, which comes in handy with the ‘find peak function’ in Protools. I am also using the 1073EQ for in-the-box mixing with hardware inserts. The three colour led light is also a keen feature.” n www.vintageaudioprojects.be
www.psneurope.com/studio 27 Vintage gear one pager FIN BUT Needs to be a right!.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:49
P28 FEBRUARY 2017
Studio
Herb Tucmandl, CEO and founder of Vienna Symphonic Library and Synchron Stage Vienna, and (right) Bernd Mazagg, Syncron Stage technical director of and chief engineer
AUSTRIA
Synchron is it, eh? Synchron Stage Vienna is a new world- class orchestral scoring studio, owned and run by the Vienna Symphonic Library. The facility boasts two stages, SSL Duality Delta consoles and Dante networking. Simon Duff reports
S
ynchron Stage Vienna opened in July 2016 to great acclaim and a clear intention to become one of the world’s leading filmscoring facilities, both in terms of acoustics and technical facilities. Stage A can accommodate up to 130 musicians, with a control room based around a SSL Duality Delta 96-channel Prostation console. Stage B is designed for smaller ensembles, and features a Duality Delta 48-channel console. An SSL L500 Live console is also available for orchestral monitor mix duties. High resolution (192kHz) recording and full Dante networking is available throughout the facility. Since the summer opening, Hans Zimmer has shown his commitment to the facility by recording scorees for the Tom Hanks movie Inferno and Netflic’s Golden Globe winning series The Crown. The building has an illustrious history. It was built in 1925 as a movie production complex; in the 1940s and ’50s it was part of Film City Vienna, with some ten film scores recorded each year. During the 1960s, the likes of Herbert von Karajan, Yehudi Menuhin and Mstislav Rostropovich recorded there. In 2009 the facility was listed as a landmark protected building. The Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL), a leading developer of orchestral sample libraries and music production software, took over the building in 2013. Led by CEO and founder Herb Tucmandl since 2000, VSL are now wholly fully based at Synchron Stage. Renovation and acoustic design at the facility was undertaken by Walters-Storyk Design Group. Ambitious acoustic tests on completion included flying and hovering a helicopter above the roof of Stage A (nothing of the helicopter could be heard on Stage A, it was reported). The facility also boasts a huge collection of orchestral instruments used by VSL, available for clients.
Tucmandl is keen to stress that both the demands of film clients and the work of VSL can be met. He comments: “The acoustic design of our main hall as well as the enormous flexibility of the configuration of our recording and control rooms give us the autonomy to record 24/7. Within a very short time, the Synchron Stage team can change an entire recording situation from a sampling session into a set-up for a 130-piece orchestra. Therefore we are able to satisfy our studio customers, and additionally we’re able to push the work on our sampling libraries.” The choice of SSL Duality Delta consoles allows Synchron Stage both a traditional and progressive
hybrid approach to pre-production, large-scale recording, editing and mixing. To achieve the goal of total flexibility without compromising audio quality, a high-capacity, redundant Dante network connects every room to every other room, so that every audio channel is available anywhere in the facility. The network has a capacity to carry 12,288 channels of 192kHz audio. The consultants on the project are TSAMM Professional Audio Solutions, led by Mario Reithofer. Main monitors in both control rooms are ADAM S6X, ADAM Sub 15 and Neumann KH 310 midfield speakers for 5.1 mixing; for 9.1 (Auro3D) work, there’s also KH 810 speakers. Control Room A features a 96-channel SSL Duality Delta console
www.psneurope.com/studio 28-30 Synchron FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 20:24
Full Page Template.indd 1
2/24/2016 11:31:42 AM
P30 FEBRUARY 2017
Studio
Engineer Dennis Sands (left) and Herb Tucmandl in Control Room A
SSL L500 Live at the monitor position for an orchestral recording on Stage A
The SSL powerhouse, racked up and ready to record
The world-class outboard includes units by Lexicon and TC Electronic; mic pre-amps include SSL 500 Series, Neve 88RLB, BAE 312A and AEA RPQ500. MADI-Bridges and nine SSL Delta-Link MADI HD Pro Tools interfaces are used for five HDX Pro Tools workstations running at various sample rates, connected to, and fed from, the Dante network. A complete trip through the system – from a microphone on the main stage, through an Alpha-Link A-D, then MADI-Dante Bridge onto the network, and then a monitoring return through another MADI-Bridge, through the L500 to the musicians’ headphones takes, less than 0.7ms (at 192kHz). The selection of microphones reflects the high quality found elsewhere in the building: top of the range models by AEA, Coles, DPA, Royer, Neumann, Schoeps, Sennheiser and Shure. Bernd Mazagg, Synchron Stage technical director and chief audio engineer adds: “All the rooms are connected to each other, so you can [route ] Stage A to Control Room B [and so on]. It was important for me to have Dante in this building as it allows signals to so easily be switched to wherever needed. So anybody in one of the
Plenty of room for a huge orchestra in this prestigious facility
offices who wants to hear a stereo mix or a 5.1 mix from a control room can do that.” Commenting on the Duality consoles, Mazagg says: “They were chosen for their clean, SuperAnalogue sonic foundations and the unique tonal flexibility of the VHD (Variable Harmonic Drive) inputs. It was also very important to have the control rooms as modular as possible. So if a traditional American engineer comes to Synchron and wants to have his American way of scoring, so to speak, we can provide that. That is why we have the SSL 500 modules where you can chose from different pre-amps. It was important to provide the old way or the older way of recording an orchestra, but also have the future in mind as to where the scoring of an orchestra can go to next. I think that it is a really new concept in designing a scoring stage.” Antony David, managing director of SSL is keen to express his praise for Synchron Stage Vienna. “Herb and his team must be extremely proud of what they have achieved with Synchron Stage Vienna. They have moved the large-scale scoring stage into a new technological era, but stayed true to the high creative and quality values that frequently define the most outstanding
studios in our industry.” Mazagg oversaw the first test session. A 100-piece orchestra engineered by Dennis Sands, a top LA film score engineer and conductor Conrad Pope, recorded various famous film cues. Mazagg states: “When I first heard the orchestra playing through the loudspeakers and to the whole signal path for the first time it was simply amazing. It was much better than we had hoped it could be.” In the near future Tucmadl and his team are going to strengthen the synergies between Vienna Symphonic Library and Synchron Stage Vienna. He concludes: “With the release of Synchron Percussion I we will start an entirely new series of libraries that are recorded in our beautiful new recording facility. We also preparing the restoration of the Lenkwil cinema organ, which will be a long-term project for the next years. We have made enough impact now for the likes of Hans Zimmer to consider this might be the future of orchestral film production here in Vienna.” n www.synchronstage.com vsl.co.at wsdg.com
www.psneurope.com/studio 28-30 Synchron FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:20
Steerable sound isn’t just about being heard, it’s about being understood.
ICONYX Gen5 steerable loudspeakers deliver clarity to every seat. It didn’t matter how far back their seats were. Or how cavernous the hall was. All they heard – all they felt – was sound that was warm, intelligible and personal. With clear, precisely-controlled sound from Iconyx Gen5 steerable loudspeakers, their seats were the best in the house. To learn more or for a demo, visit www.renkus-heinz.com.
renkus-heinz.com/iconyx-gen5
©2016 Renkus-Heinz
NewMag Template 220x290.indd 1
24/06/2016 13:22:15
P32 FEBRUARY 2017
Broadcast
UNITED KINGDOM
Sound tradition and experimentation in Brighton Following up last month’s feature on Ann Kroeber’s appearance at the Sound of Story symposium, Kevin Hilton rounds up sessions on innovative radio drama, putting visuals to emotional voice recordings and work of sound designer Paul Davies
I
n its mission to explore the uses of audio and music as storytelling tools, the Sound of Story symposium has featured contributors working in the expected areas of film, television, radio and music. Under those fairly traditional headings the presentations, supported by workshops, have shown the more esoteric applications of audio technology, incorporating the now more mainstream discipline of sound art. The Sound of Story 2016, organised by the Lighthouse culture agency in Brighton, was more cohesive than the 2015 outing, but now less wide-ranging. From the sound effects and location recording of Ann Kroeber (see PSNEurope January 2017 for full report) to the big screen sound design of Paul Davies to the reinvention of radio drama in Akiha Den Den, the sessions looked at how audio is crucial to narrative in particular and the creative process in general. Musician-producer-artist Matthew Herbert was in radical mood, describing the recording studio as “the enemy of sound”. While Foley is usually confined to studios, more of this arcane art is being done in specific locations. Foley artist Sue Harding has worked in Winston Churchill’s reserve wartime bunker; in another departure she performed many common effects live for the audience in the Dome Studio Theatre. Like many elements of sound, Foley comes later in the production chain. Very rarely does a visual project start with sound. An exception to the accepted rule is Notes on Blindness, which was released to critical acclaim in 2016 and is nominated in the Best Documentary category at this year’s BAFTAs. The source was the 16 hours of C90 cassette recordings made by theologian and academic John Hall after he began to go blind in 1980. Hall decided to keep an audio diary to help him come to terms with losing his sight. His measured but still emotional tones set an atmosphere, which directors James Spinney and Peter Middleton wanted to convey visually. Spinney and Middleton had already made a series of short films about blindness when they were put in touch with Hall. Mike Brett, their producer, appeared at the symposium to explain how they expanded what was originally an intimate and very personal experience. “The start was the sound and the words,” Brett explained. “It was all about the delivery and the timbre of John’s voice. From that Peter and James created a
It’s a reel-to-reel tape machine! In Beckett style!
Sound designer Paul Davies discussing his techniques and varied filmography
www.psneurope.com/broadcast 32-33 Sound of story FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:24
P33 FEBRUARY 2017
90-minute timeline of audio before they began shooting.” When filming did commence it had been decided not to record any atmospheric sounds on set or location; all effects were built up in post under the direction of supervising sound editor Joakim Sundström. The actors playing Hull and his wife Marilyn – Dan Skinner and Simone Kirby – lip synched to the recordings while filming. “They were in character and taking on somebody else’s voice as well,” Brett commented. “Simone would mouth the words but Dan said them out loud, which made for a weird one-sided conversation. But Dan said denying him his voice and his sight [he closed his eyes while acting] helped the performance because, like John, he went through an isolating experience.” The sound for Notes on Blindness has been expanded in several ways to produce different versions. There are alternative audio descriptions, one featuring what Brett calls the “chocolatety” voice of actor Stephen Mangan and another with John Hull himself, plus additional narration and sound effects. Brett also produced a six-part virtual reality version subtitled Into Darkness. As well as interactive elements this offers an immersive experience through 3D Ambisonics. Radio has flirted with wrap-around sound, largely through binaural techniques. Part of the reason for this not always working is that many producers are worried the words will be lost if the music and effects are continual. Producer Neil Cargill has experimented in this way through his work with cult humorist and singer Ivor Cutler and a multi-layered Radio 3 production based on the diaries of filmmaker Wim Wenders. Cargill decided to take this further in Akiha Den Den, described as “radio drama meets audio art meets waking dream”. Inspired by late night listening to mysterious transmissions from the old Eastern Bloc as a child in the 1970s, Cargill has written and directed a strange saga involving a radio ham picking up the voice of a girl in an abandoned amusement park. Their ‘not-quite reality’ was partly created through a collage of music and sound effects by sound designer and composer Simon James. Their working relationship was demonstrated in almost performance art style in the opening to their presentation; a spotlight picked out an old reel-to-reel tape machine, which turned on remotely and played recordings of phone conversations between the two men. Cargill explained that a psychological starting point for Akiha Den Den was noise, something expressed by one of the more unusual characters – a talking cockroach. The introduction of this character initially caused James some concern: “I wasn’t sure what was going on, which was frustrating at first. But I treated the script more like poetry than forcing it into a traditional narrative, putting it over some music I had already starting writing.” Cargill adds that funding the series independently and distributing it online instead of going through a broadcaster gave a lot more freedom. “It grew organically,” he said. The final session of the day saw Paul Davies in
Writer-director Neil Cargill and composer-sound designer Simon James explain the complexities of unconventional radio drama Akiha Den Den
A BLURRING OF THE LINES BETWEEN MUSIC AND SOUND DESIGN: SOMETHING THAT IN MANY WAYS SUMS UP THE AIMS OF THE SOUND OF STORY
KEVIN HILTON
conversation with journalist Amy Raphael. Now well known for his work on feature films, including ‘71, Hunger and the work of director Lynne Ramsay (notably We Need to Talk About Kevin), Davies explained that his first experiments in sound had been in electronic music. Influenced by the works of John Cage, Terry Riley and Stockhausen, Davies owned an early synthesiser and ran a small studio in Wales during the mid-1980s. He realised the potential of audio in film after seeing David Lynch’s Eraserhead, with sound design by Alan Splet. “It was mono but sounded so powerful and massive,” he said. After film school Davies worked on a
number of TV and film projects before what he considers a breakthrough: Love is the Devil, telling the story of artist Francis Bacon. Sitting in the audience for this session was Ann Kroeber. Alan Splet’s widow and herself a Lynch collaborator; she pointed out the connection that “David was influenced by Francis Bacon”. Davies illustrated his technique with clips from several of his films. Ramsay’s Morvern Callar broke a cardinal audio rule; out-of-sync dialogue. “Tim Alban [re-recording mixer] said to me, ‘If you’re going to do it, really do it.’ So we put it out by 12-frames,” Davies explained. His early experiences in electronica came in useful on the 2010 film The American, which director Anton Corbijn saw as a Western. “There was a scene in that which was very much from that genre, with strangers getting off a train,” Davies said. “There was no score on that; instead we used an electronic tonality, a drone, which I put underneath.” A small but significant blurring of the lines between music and sound design. Something that in many ways sums up the aims of the Sound of Story, which drew just about a full house for each of the symposium sessions. n www.lighthouse.org.uk www.notesonblindness.co.uk
Producer Mike Brett talking about the audio approach taken for the acclaimed documentary Notes on Blindness Photo credit: Adam Bronkhorst
www.psneurope.com/broadcast 32-33 Sound of story FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:24
P34 FEBRUARY 2017
Broadcast
The Digital Radio Norway caravan touring the countryside
NORWAY
Norwegian FM switch-off signals DAB future Its been a long time coming but DAB is finally pushing FM off the national airwaves. Kevin Hilton reports on the big radio moves in pioneering Norway and what it could mean for other European countries
N
orway began switching off its national FM networks on 11 January, becoming the first country to move towards a fuller digital radio infrastructure. The digital switchover (DSO) will continue over the course of this year, with the last region due to lose analogue transmissions in December. The Norwegian government has justified the landmark step by citing the increase in services and coverage. Critics say the country’s listeners are not ready for such a momentous change, with the in-car sector particularly unprepared. The Norwegian DSO has been on the world digital radio agenda since 2011 but the final government goahead came only in December 2016. In the build-up to the announcement broadcasters have been preparing for change-over. Transmission provider Norkring, which also operates in Belgium, has built a new transmitter network on behalf of national public broadcaster NRK, commercial media group Bauer and Digital Radio Norway. The new network comprises 970 transmitter sites with 170,000m of cabling and is claimed to offer coverage for 99.5 per cent of the Norwegian population. The cost of this development and roll-out is estimated at one billion Norwegian kroner (£96m/€111m). It carries 30 radio channels nationwide – 15 public service and 15 commercial – compared to the five national services previously available on FM. The majority of the stations are broadcast using DAB+ technology, introduced in 2007, but the whole operation is referred to generically as DAB. “The term DAB refers to both DAB and DAB+,” explains Mari Hagerup, a spokeswoman for Digital Radio Norway. “Today we still have two commercial channels transmitting on DAB, the rest are on DAB+. The
technologies do not have any differences in terms of coverage, the only difference is network capacity.” Digital Radio Norway is jointly owned by NRK, Bauer and commercial radio operator P4 Group. It was established to promote digital radio and oversee the shift from FM to DAB. “Radio needs modernisation and renewal,” comments the organisation’s chief executive, Ole Jørgen Torvmark. “FM technology was introduced in the 1950s and is very limited in relation to current needs. DAB provides the capacity we need to generate more content for listeners. FM gives no room for more national channels in a country like Norway, where the challenging terrain and sparse population place great demands on the broadcasting networks.” Torvmark adds that due to the age of the existing FM network a massive investment would be needed to continue analogue transmissions. New FM stations went on air in 1993 and 2004 but DAB has been seen as the obvious successor since the technology went into operation in 1995. The death knell for Norwegian FM on a national basis sounded on 11 January in the northern town of Bodø, capital of the Nordland region. The switchoff is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017, although it is not total because FM will continue to be used for local and community services. Despite the positive spin from Digital Radio Norway, not everyone is convinced by the switch to digital. The Reuters news agency quotes a December 2016 opinion poll by tabloid newspaper Dagladet showing 66 per cent of Norwegians to be against the FM switch-off, with only 17 per cent for the move. Ib Thomsen, an MP in the Progress Party, part of the Conservative-led coalition government, said the country was not ready for the DSO. “There are two million cars on Norwegian
roads that don’t have DAB receivers and millions of radios in Norwegian homes will stop working when the FM network is switched off,” he told Reuters. “There is definitely a safety concern.” Mari Hagerup at Digital Radio Norway counters that 49 per cent of listeners are shown to have waited for the switch-over before upgrading their cars. “This has been an expected delay and also why we have regional DSOs,” she says. “The FM network is shut down region by region to make sure people get the needed amount of time to upgrade cars. We do expect the number of car installations to increase in the months to come.” Hagerup adds that surveys show audio quality as an important feature, with 40 per cent of listeners preferring DAB+ because of this. The DSO is significant for Norway but is potentially a key factor in similar decisions by other countries. Switzerland has plans for a switch-off to start in 2020 but 2017 looks like being pivotal. The South Tyrol region of Italy will begin switching off FM this year, while the UK is due to review the futures of DAB and FM. What ever else happens in 2017, it looks like being a critical year for digital radio. n www.radio.no
Nordland resident and radio listener Berith Pauline Olderskog throws the level to switchover from FM to DAB, watched by Radio Norway presenter and comedian Geir Schau
www.psneurope.com/broadcast 34 Digital norway v1SSDR one query then FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:27
Full Page Template.indd 1
15/09/2016 09:24:43
P36 FEBRUARY 2017
Live
UNITED KINGDOM
Five guys in the Spiegeltent A circular stage and actors anywhere from in front, behind or with backs to the audience presented an audio challenge, with a TiMax2 SoundHub dynamic delay-matrix spatial audio processor coming to the rescue
T
he signature circular Spiegeltent structure was the venue for the musical Five Guys Named Moe for Edinburgh’s Christmas on Stage event, which presented a number of sound design challenges. The high impact production featured the circular stage revolve to bring the cast and action into the audience, with seating inside and outside of the revolve. The sound design also followed the circular theme with four rings of loudspeakers focused inside and outside of the revolve, plus an additional band system at the stage area. The largely d&b loudspeaker system comprised six E8s focused towards the inside of the revolve, twelve Y7Ps focused on the outside, with a central truss with four Y10Ps. The left and right band system on the stage featured two Y Subs and two V10Ps per side. EM Acoustics EMS-51s provided front fill, whilst five E8s were positioned at each entrance at the rear of the tent, as well as being used as spot FX speakers with two E8s as delays. While this distributed radial sound design helped counter the acoustic challenges of the non-rigid, temporary structure, sound designer, Ben Harrison, faced a further challenge. He explains: “During the show at any one time, the actor is in front of some of the audience looking at them, for some the actor is behind, and for some the actor is in front but looking away!” Harrison’s audio team – sound operator, Tom Cox, and sound engineer, Andy Fugle – needed to provide a
The rack room
variable acoustic focus for the audience. Cox comments: “We wanted to be able to move the cast – with their sound – between all the available locations in the tent: the stage, the back of the auditorium, everywhere. But this would mean the audio would always be out of time. What we needed was a big delay matrix and as soon as we’d demoed TiMax we were sold. We wouldn’t have to think about DSP or delay paths as TiMax does it all for you.” Harrison agrees: “TiMax made it ‘do-able’. We could have sat for weeks and weeks programming some other equipment, but TiMax was so quick and so intuitive that every other ‘solution’ seemed like a compromise. It all worked and it worked really well. What struck me – aside from all the delay management – was the simple interface and the way it managed a huge system so effectively.” In use were, DPA 4066 Headsets with Shure UR1M Transmitters fed to the DiGiCo SD10T desk, which is connected to an SD Rack in the rack room via an Optocore network. The SD rack links to TiMax via AES with outputs to amplifiers. The audio system was provided by Stage Sound Services, who sub-hired the 48-channel TiMax2 SoundHub-S48 spatial processor from UK developers, Out Board. As the programmer, Cox was hands-on with TiMax. He says: “We really liked the user interface. Compared to various other ways of managing the audio, I couldn’t see any other way of making a complicated job so simple. We imported a speaker diagram of the whole
The spread of audience and shape of the venue presented sound challenges
stage area and TiMax showed us exactly where they all were. It was just so easy with the features saving so much time – like ‘Panspace’ which we used every time a cast member spun either way from the stage using the revolve.” The natural sound TiMax created was seamless and impressed Harrison. He notes: “If we slipped to the wrong cue, or didn’t start in the right place, you could really hear it. That’s how in tune your ears are to what’s going on. When it’s right the sound is so unobtrusive you just know where the actor is: behind you, over there…” “Compared to a speaker set-up where two hangs of speakers at the front bounced energy all over the place – and with the circular structure that was one of our main worries – the energy is focused where the energy needs to be. It worked brilliantly and we were very happy with the results." n www.outboard.co.uk
www.psneurope.com/live 36 Five Guys v1FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:29
Full Page Template.indd 1
24/01/2017 11:07:47
P38 FEBRUARY 2017
Live
GERMANY
The CODA HQ was formerly the Swedish pavilion on the Hannover Expo site
The new DNA of CODA A visit to Hannover for Dave Robinson, where Paul Ward is keen to emphasise the advantages that evolving loudspeaker maker manufacturer CODA Audio can bring to the market, while introducing the man who is taking the brand to the USA, Luke Jenks
C
ODA Audio was first launched by Svetly Alexandrov in the mid-Nineties, but, in the words of sales and marketing director Paul Ward, the brand is “really only five years old”. (Alexandrov has always been a presence at international tradeshows, but, like Eric Vincenot of France’s Nexo, he eschews the journalist’s spotlight.) It’s rare to see a brand that has a significant effect in pro audio, argues Ward – “only every 10 years or so” – but it’s clear that what’s on the CODA agenda. When PSNEurope visited the company at its Hannover HQ following the launch of the ViRAY medium-size touring system in the autumn of 2012, Mick Anderson, spokesman for the company at the time, said: “If you project five years into the future, there is a view here at CODA Audio that those companies which will take the top positions in the loudspeaker market are those that can produce that ‘integrated approach’ in-house.”
Paul Ward: “We can determine what the market needs, and we can design that from the transducer up”
It’s four out of those five years later, but that message remains at the heart of the CODA dynamic: the company is asking the market to look at what it’s providing in a more detailed and considered way. Ward , of course, echoes this:.“Sound is only [part] of the issue,” he posits. Not, for the tiniest moment, suggesting there is any kind of compromise in audio fidelity in the product line:
Ward’s point is that CODA is offering whole systems that are easier to set up, use and service, and cheaper to transport, so PA/rental houses and installer integrators can remain profitable. “It’s a whole commercial proposition. The market has changed considerably over the last nine years and technologically speaking we are in a good position to react to those changes, providing solutions that are relevant today and into the future. “We’re not making any claims that we are the only manufacturer developing and manufacturing transducers,” says Ward. “We’re saying that the technology is unique to CODA, and patented by CODA – that is a fundamental difference. We can determine what the market needs, and we can design that from the transducer up.” (After Ward says this, PSNEurope is reminded of the slogan that grew out of the UK EU Referendum: CODA Audio has, if you will, “taken back control”. Ward laughs:
www.psneurope.com/live 38-41 Coda FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:32
AiRAY on the Waldbuhne stage at the Gurten Festival in Switzerland last summer
GB
4 – 7. 4. 2017 Frankfurt am Main
market,” says Ward. “The key was to find the right level of individual!” Luke Jenks, whose departure from Meyer Sound turned into a golden opportunity for CODA. Ward says CODA is looking to bolster its team in the European office in the near future, and this will be done in line with the company’s mantra: “There is a huge amount of resource been spent in doing this correctly. We’ve always been adamant that we always take strategic steps, we’re not just out there to sell a bunch of stuff – we want to create a demand where the market wants to invest in the brand. “There are plenty of other brands that are picking up sales successes but not actually building a brand, and we are definitely engaged in that brand-building process. It’s fundamentally different thinking.” Ward retells a favourite anecdote: “Very early on I went to Adlib Audio with Svetly – I wanted to engage the manufacturer with the marketplace so he could better understand it. The question was asked, ‘What are the ten most important things you consider when buying a sound system?’ The answers: ‘It’s got to sound right, be easy to use, deliver a return on investment, be reliable,’ and so on. Then the question was asked, ‘Which one is the most important?’ To which the answer came: ‘All of them’. So all of those points have to be there if you want to play in the A-list game.” (Adlib Audio in the UK has invested a seven-figure euro amount in the brand.) CODA product has been deployed in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, the Lhasa National Culture Theatre in Tibet, and for the spectacular 14-18 musical in Mechelen, Belgium. Installations have followed in the Kongress Palais Kassel and the Lipperlandhalle Lemgo
Tickets and information: prolight-sound.com
Media Technology & System Integration This is the industry showcase for perfectly integrated and networked systems comprising an array of individual components from the areas of sound, video and lighting as well as system and network control engineering. Discover the trends of tomorrow, pioneering solutions and fresh ideas at Prolight + Sound 2017. Experience innovation and expertise at the most important date in the event industry calendar. info@uk.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83
64200-012_PLS_Media_System_AudioMediaInternational_95x270 • FOGRA 39 • CMYK • tg: 06.12.2016
“Standing alone in that [Brexit] context is probably not a great idea; in our context, it is.”) The ‘unique tech’ on which the recent ranges – 2012’s ViRAY and 2015’s bigger AiRAY touring system – include the DDP drivers (CODA’s patented Dual Diaphragm Planar-wave drivers), ultra low-distortion cone speakers and what is effectively a wave guide called the ViCOUPLER or AiCOUPLER, respectively. While Ward readily admits that the ViRAY from 2012 system has several competitors in its slice of the market, the top of the range AiRAY, launched in 2015, does not. “We would never been able to build that product based on existing available tech other than our own. AiRAY is a clear case in point: we’ve been able to build a product that people need, and we’ve recognised through sales that it’s really [a system] of today and the future.” AiRAY is currently CODA’s strongest selling product.” Designs and specifications are not in question here: a more important point is, if Ward and CODA are confident about the technology, then how are they spreading that message? “It is clear that distribution is key ... What comes with distribution is finding the right level of partner – you have to play the waiting game to do that.” CODA tried a different strategy: “We got engineers in front of [the systems] at major festivals around the world, people started talking about it, and over the last year to 18 months, they’ve contacted us.” The level of customer CODA Audio are now engaging with should not be sniffed at: Hibino in Japan, Soundus Corp in South Korea; Tommex in Poland. And in America? “We thought long and hard about how to approach the US
DU: 07.12.2016
Let’s master it.
www.psneurope.com/live 38-41 Coda FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:33
P40 FEBRUARY 2017
Live
in Germany, and more in South Africa and China. AiRAY was used at major festivals across Europe and Asia in 2016. Placebo recently used AiRAY for its 20th anniversary world arena tour, as did pop innovators Public Service Broadcast in a late 2016 gig at the O2 Brixton Academy. Meanwhile, creating a buzz on social media has paid dividends for the operation. “This is how the brand is being built: real grassroots people are saying real things. It’s like religion – and speakers are like religion, converts to one brand or another are not easily swayed to move in another direction…” CODA has made claims about the strength of its output, and, consistently, these claims are reinforced by users posting real-life experiences of the kit on the social channel. All of CODA’s ideas have been generated by customer consultation says Ward: the straightforward, nonnonsense rigging system, for instance. CODA even manufactures the pins for the rigging. And here again is a clue to why CODA will continue to thrive: “That control over the whole process is as much as being able to do unique things as it is about reliability,” says Ward. “That’s what you’ve got to do to provide an A-list product.” n www.codaaudio.com
Q&A: Luke Jenks of Coda Audio On 15 September 2016, CODA announced that the immeasurably effusive Luke Jenks, former director of production management at California-based Meyer Sound, was coming on board to head up a new office in the US. A couple of months into taking up the role PSNEurope caught up with him. You left Meyer Sound after 25 years with the company. What did you think about your next career move? Luke Jenks: I was really lucky and I had some choices of where to go, but, honestly, when I found CODA, I thought, wow, this reminds me of audio being fun again, like punk rock audio! I had to think about, whether I wanted to go the corporate route, or dive back into the zest of audio… and, while I was thinking about it, someone sent me a picture of when I was in a band, back in the day.
calrec.com/brio
Slogan created by: Name: Tim Jacobs Job title: Technical Director Company: NBC Universal
200x135_BPSNE_ThisisAudio.indd 1
10/08/2016 17:55
www.psneurope.com/live 38-41 Coda FIN.indd 3
24/01/2017 19:33
It’s the classic rock’n’roll, jumping-inthe-air picture… And I thought, I want to do that! What was your first task with the operation? Besides the internal tasks of setting up the company and the team my first external task is letting people know that this mysterious thing they have heard about is coming to the USA. We have to take careful steps, I don’t AiRAY on the Waldbuhne stage at the want to surpass what we can support, Gurten Festival in Switzerland last so I’ve been networking with certain folks, [telling them] it’s time to start talking, and looking for people that want to get in on the ground floor. I would encourage anyone interested in learning about CODA Audio in the States to contact me directly. Bringing a new brand to America, that’s quite a task..? You know that the sides of the roads are littered with European companies that have tried to come into the States, right? But we can come because we have unique solutions and tangible benefits. You don’t have to read a white paper to understand it. With its weight savings and power, CODA is giving designers a new colour to paint with. Of course, I can’t compete with an established company that is on every rider in the United States. But what I can do is find people who are looking for an advantageous solution and a new tool for challenging designs. So I’m focusing on explaining the technology and the advantages to them. When you say you are looking for partners…? I consider anyone who buys into our products a partner. I’m going to build a team in the US, a technical sales team: we’re going to need five key dealers to cover the installation market to start with. CODA is coming into the States to be an A-level company, not a B or C level, otherwise we will just get pigeonholed. I would like four people on the technical sales team [in 2017], and they will all be direct CODA people. And I want technical sales: I would love the model where sales people are
The Little Big One With the original Uniline, APG revolutionised the industry with true modularity and the ultimate benefits of scalability. Now, APG’s Uniline Compact delivers those same benefits in an ultra-compact format. From intimate venues to mid-sized shows, APG’s Uniline Compact is the one system that will cover it all without any compromise on sonic performance.
technically capable. There are a lot of bright people out there, and I’m looking for good clay! What about training and after-sales? I have a lot of experience in setting up seminars and education programmes, so I’ve already started to work on that: we’re talking to our expert users – and we have a lot of interesting stuff to teach! But an education effort covers documentation and a decent website; there’s a lot of work to do. You think that CODA can be more flexible, more agile than other companies? CODA is small enough to want to listen, but big enough to do something about it. We have the time and the patience to listen, then this incredibly fast engineering development team. That’s a potent combination. It’s nice to be open-minded to people’s ideas, but it’s harder when you’re much bigger. Where will you be based? I aim to establish a facility on the west coast, near where I live, outside San Francisco, in the next couple of months. Stock will be held elsewhere in the country too. What appeals to you in the CODA catalogue? I’m really excited by the AiRAY – which is an obvious choice, but I love the HOPS (top) speakers too. n
UNILINE COMPACT SYSTEM UC206W - UC206N - UC115B
www.psneurope.com/live
www.apg.audio made in france
38-41 Coda FIN.indd 4
24/01/2017 19:33
P42 FEBRUARY 2017
Business feature: Italy
ITALY
Good New Year solutions Manufacture, distribution and live events step buoyantly into 2017 – in spite of everything, says Mike Clark
Nile Rogers & Chic and the 60-piece Ensemble Symphony Orchestra perform in Rome Credit: Giulio Tazini
D
escribing Italy’s political situation as unstable is definitely an understatement, with Italian voters recently dealing prime minister Matteo Renzi a stinging defeat on his reform referendum, triggering his resignation and galvanising the populist, opposition 5-Star Movement’s determination to gain national power. The country’s overall economic situation is anything but rosy: during the referendum campaign, the risk of political instability in Europe’s fourth-largest economy triggered market reaction, with bank stocks sinking and borrowing costs on sovereign debt rising. Although improving in November, credit growth to firms still remained under the EU average. In December, the government established a €20 billion fund to support the banking sector. Canadian
rating agency DBRS recently cut Italy’s sovereign credit rating to BBB (high) from A (low), a move that could raise borrowing costs for struggling Italian banks. The natives, however, haven’t cut their spending on leisure, as is borne out by an increase in concert attendance: compared to the (already positive) figures for the first half of 2015, the number of concerts increased by almost 2.5 per cent, ticket sales were up by by 7.7 per cent and turnover by more than 5 per cent. Theatre figures for the same period were also up, with almost 0.15 per cent more shows, a 7.6 per tcent increase in ticket sales and 17 per cent in turnover (Source: SAIE, Italy’s performing rights society). An insight on how the pro-audio market is reacting and an insight on the effects (if any) of this situation comes from the key players in the distribution,
manufacture and event production sectors. Audio Sales (based in the province of Parma) is one of Italy’s most important distributors, with brands such as Martin Audio, Adamson, D.A.S Audio, XTA, Avid, Cloud and Powersoft, and owner Stefano Rocchi reports a constant upward trend in sales over the last three years. The firm reports a big boost on the “live” scenario, thanks to the arrival of the new AVID S6L console, of which it has sold about a dozen (a couple of rental firms took two). One such is Mister X Service of Grumello Cremonese, who took delivery of its second AVID S6L in the summer of 2016. Davide Linzi, of Mister X’s audio department explains, “We used the first desk on FOH chores on the 2016 club tour by (top Italian band) Negrita and were extremely
www.psneurope.com/business 42-44 feature ITALY Needs red colour then OK.indd 1
24/01/2017 20:14
P43 FEBRUARY 2017
satisfied with the results, so when we took delivery of the second S6L, we used them both as resident consoles at the Assago 2016 Street Music Art Festival, then took both out on the indoor arena tour by pop star Francesco Renga. Monitor engineer David Bisetti says he was very impressed with the console’s sonic performance.” Adamson has also contributed to the positive trend and Rocchi confirms the brand’s increasing share of the market, mentioning the impressive rig fielded by Rooster Service for a concert by Nile Rogers and Chic and 60-piece Ensemble Symphony Orchestra in a city square in the centre of Rome (including 28 E15 and 24 S10 cabs, 20 E219 subs and 32 Spektrix systems).
Classical versus opera A typically Italian phenomenon is the fact that, in recent years, audiences at classical and opera events have increased, but there has not been a corresponding rise in the number of venues suited to hosting such events. In order to draw crowds, these performances have to be held in locations not normally used for such events, such as indoor sports arenas and outdoor venues. An increasing number of pop and rock artists have also added an orchestra to their concerts (the Chic show and Luciano Ligabue’s concerts at Verona Arena, for instance). Here the acoustic instruments had to have mics to be heard over the amplified ones. These considerations convinced industry veteran Gianni Fantini of the need to include a specialised course for orchestra miking technique and placement as part of the first edition of his Live You Play Educational program. The full-day event was held by Andrea Taglia, a well-known face on the Italian and international concert scene, due to his work as FOH engineer with tenor Andrea Bocelli. Fantini confirmed that the majority of the 40 attendees were freelance sound engineers, but there were also some rental company owners present. Taglia covered the close relationship between music notation and environmental acoustics; musicians’ position on stage; the effect of weather conditions on orchestras’ playing and recording; the principles of psychoacoustics and much more. “All the participants had a medium/advanced knowledge of the issues covered, probably due to the fact that they paid to take part,” he notes. “The majority had already faced mic placement and technique [problems] for pop/rock events, and almost all asked very specific questions.” Taglia was able to give practical demos of mic placement on the instruments, thanks to the support of Distributor Sisme. Taglia’s practical demos were aided by supplying a comprehensive range of 13 different Audio-Technica mics, plus various windscreens, clamps and mounts for the placement demos.
Luciano Ligabue’s concerts at Verona Arena Credit: Jarno Iotti
Installing for victory As well as its increasing involvement in the international market, winning contracts in Rio for the Olympic Games ceremonies, supplying the audio system for Sochi’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics opening and closing ceremonies, Agorà is Italy’s leading audio, lighting and video rental company (and one of the largest in Europe). From his HQ office in L’Aquila, where he’d stayed to hold the fort with a member of his staff, during a seemingly endless series of earthquake tremors, Vittorio De Amicis, founder of the company with his brother Wolfango, had do doubts as to whether the current economic situation in Italy was effecting business in any way. “Some unnecessary technical ‘frills’ occasionally requested in the past – perhaps on a whim – by some artists or their management have been eliminated, and the shows we are involved in have maintained our customary high standards. The total budgets available for tours’ technical production have risen, with the increasingly important role played by video, but the new breakdown has not resulted in any cuts in audio – producers prefer if anything to use a little less lighting – definitely not audio!” On the contrary, due to the political situation at
Orchestra mic course run by Andrea Taglia
both national and local level, public spending on the installation of technology (in conference and meeting facilities, etc) has been hard hit, but corporate and private investment continues. Rocchi enthuses: “We’ve seen a particularly important rise in installation sales – a market we entered relatively recently – with brands such as Belgium’s Audac.” One recent prestige install of products in Audio Sales brand portfolio was completed at the new Lavazza HQ in Turin. A family-owned business established in 1895, Turin-based Lavazza is one of the world’s most important coffee roasters and a leader in Italy with a share of about 44 per cent of the retail market. The company reported a turnover of €1,473m, employs over 3,000 staff and has built over 50 training centres around the world. Twenty billion cups of Lavazza coffee are consumed globally in a year. Nuvola (Cloud) is the name of the new Lavazza management HQ in Via Bologna, Turin. The building’s construction work, on what was once the site of a power station, began in 2014 and the new six-floor complex is linked with the Lavazza Museum by a large concourse and new pedestrian zones leading to landscaped areas. System integrator Acuson of Turin installed no less than 106 Martin Audio recessed loudspeakers, a combination of C8.1T, C4.8T and C6.8T two-way ceiling speakers, which are powered by a total of 35 Powersoft amplifiers: 24 four-channel 2404 DSP+D, 11 8-channel 4K4 DSP Dante and four 2-channel M14D. (Powersoft has just announced the latest step in its mission to further strengthen the company, with the appointment of former Lab.gruppen/Lake product research manager Klas Daljbörn as product manager.) As far as manufacturers are concerned, professional loudspeaker designer Eighteen Sound of Reggio Emilia, has got the new year off to a great start with its announcement of the reopening of the CIARE
www.psneurope.com/business 42-44 feature ITALY Needs red colour then OK.indd 2
24/01/2017 20:14
P44 FEBRUARY 2017
Business feature: Italy
loudspeaker factory based in Senigallia, Italy. The brand was acquired by the company in late 2016, following a mutual business agreement in May 2015, whereby Eighteen Sound distributed CIARE Pro Audio product line worldwide. After the Eighteen Sound acquisition, the CIARE brand was relaunched at the 2016 Prolight + Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, with a new logo and slogan: “To each their own sound” and a commitment to continue to take note of customer and market requirements when designing innovative new products for the three market sectors the brand serves.
Andrea Taglia, Bocelli’s engineer
Giacomo Previ of CIARE/ Eighteen Sound
CIARE has been bringing Italian-made quality sound to the world for over 65 years, following its foundation in Senigallia (Ancona) in 1947 by entrepreneur Dino Giannini, who named it “Costruzioni Italiane Apparecchiature Radio Elettriche” (Italian radioelectrical appliance manufacturing). Through time, the company built up significant expertise in the design and manufacture of loudspeakers and amplifier components for the professional, home hi-fi and car audio sectors. A wealth of knowledge and experience which has grown and been consolidated through time to create the “CIARE sound” . “The reopening of the factory is a key step of our strategy to revitalise and strengthen the CIARE brand, enabling us to position this historical loudspeaker manufacturer on the global market,” states Giacomo Previ, Eighteen Sound’s sales and marketing director. “I am very pleased and excited about the new opportunities we can provide for Ciare to access new markets, as well as offering the evolving Pro Market manufacturers a broader range of solutions to their design needs”, says Pierpaolo Marziali, CEO for Eighteen Sound and CIARE. n
AVID S6L desk on Negrita tour
www.acuson.it www.agoraaq.it www.audiosales.it www.ciare.com www.codaaudio.com www.eighteensound.com www.liveyouplay.com www.powersoft-audio.com www.sisme.com
Decima-rated A company with good news on the installation front is Padua-based Decima, which has nearly 70 years experience as a distributor and integrator, with particular specialisation in the theatre world. In 2015, it was appointed as Italy’s distributor for CODA Audio. Decima’s CEO Enzo Trovato was extremely impressed by the systems’ power and clarity at a demo he attended, and adds: “In theatre installations audio is not necessarily a regular feature, but we work on a variety of other permanent installations and realised that with CODA Audio, this aspect of our business could be expanded. We now have an experienced audio specialist taking care of this side of our work and we’re also convinced our rental customers will share our view of CODA as a great investment. We’re sure we can get this excellent brand a strong foothold in the Italian market.” Decima recently equipped the two rooms at Rome’s famous Eliseo Theatre with CODA Audio systems. Although the theatre has existed since 1900, it took this name in 1918 and became famous for its operetta productions. The first of the venue’s several rebuilds and upgrades was in 1937. In the 1960s, it hosted top Italian and foreign productions: Franco Zeffirelli directed and Giorgio Albertazzi performed the role of Hamlet. In the late 1970s the theatre inaugurated a smaller room: the Piccolo Eliseo and, although at the end of the 1990s it was the country’s top theatre; following a series of administrative and structural problems, it declared bankruptcy and closed in 2014.
Decima recently equipped two rooms at Rome’s famous Eliseo Theatre with CODA Audio systems Credit: Arturo Grenci
The following year, director and producer Luca Barbareschi took over ownership and artistic direction and began restoration work. The legendary venue finally re-opened in September 2015, with Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist play. The main room’s rig features two hangs, each with eight TiRAY modules hung below a pair of TiLOW bass extension modules. Two G15 subs are recessed in the
stage front, as are four TiRAY front-fill enclosures, under the proscenium. Power is provided by a trio of LINUS 10C four-channel loudspeaker management amplifiers. The small room has been equipped with a left and right hang, each with five TiRAY modules below a TiLOW. Two HOPS8 point source enclosures double on front-fill and monitor duty according to the event and the system is power by two Linus 10C. www.decima1948.com
www.psneurope.com/business 42-44 feature ITALY Needs red colour then OK.indd 3
24/01/2017 20:15
“After months of planning, testing and finding the perfect sound solution for a venue, for me it’s all about that moment when a project truly comes to life.”
THE SOUNDMAKERS > HK Audio is the German pro audio brand offering the easiest way to the best sound. From portable to professional live sound to install solutions for over 30 years, we build PA systems for those who are fascinated by the energy of sound. Giving them a stage. Giving them a home. www.hkaudio.com
Full Page Template.indd 1 AudioMediaInternational.indd 1
2/23/2016 10:29:13 10:51 AM 18.02.16
P46 FEBRUARY 2017
Installation
FINLAND
The Finnish line
Phil Ward meets another loudspeaker manufacturer from Finland…
H
ere’s a classic tale, this time from up North. Way up North. Mika Isotalo was playing in bands while at technical college in his home town of Turku, Finland, and was naturally drawn to how loudspeakers were built. Before leaving college he began freelancing in rental and studios, met a few sonic soulmates and registered a business: “We had no idea what it would end up being – it just had to be audio,” he recalls. They called it Aura Audio. His college studies were in electronics and telecommunications. “Nokia was very powerful at the time,” he says, “so our whole education system was pushing us towards any combination of wireless technology, electronics… anything that would be useful for Nokia! I used every opportunity to make active speakers, mixer modules, whatever.” After graduation he focused on loudspeakers and got to know the rental community and its emerging requirements. Soon he was hiring staff and responding to an “innovation-orientated” clientele: “I discovered that once you introduce a horn in front of a cone driver, not only do you increase efficiency but you also decrease distortion. Done properly, directivity always improves.” At the same time, line array was coming to the fore. “The first line array models were on a very large scale, and the Finnish market needed a smaller solution,” Isotalo remembers. “We did try a large one, but we didn’t sell any! So we worked on a really compact design, which was a completely new idea in Finland at the time: six months on we began to realise how big the market was for it.” This grew the company at a steady pace for the next three years, and led to a wide variety of installations
Jan Thomé, R&D director (left) with Mika Isotalo, managing director
as well as OEM deals. A woodwork facility was built, complete with CNC, and the domestic scene thrived. “We were so busy I didn’t even consider the overseas markets, until the financial crisis of 2008 began to bite into the restaurant and night club business,” says Isotalo. “This was one of our main sectors, and although the rental customers remained steady it wasn’t enough so we started to look beyond the Finnish border. It was a much bigger adventure than I was expecting.” Despite joining the EU alongside Sweden in 1995, Finland still seemed isolated. “We felt it was just as difficult to build trade in Sweden, as it was in Germany, Holland or anywhere else in Europe. I’d been to Frankfurt and PLASA many times, and I could see where the market was. But it took a while to get there…” In fact, PLASA 2014 at the ExCeL centre in London’s Docklands was the first appearance as an international exhibitor. By this time, a very self-sufficient Aura Audio
Stack of i3 speakers
A1 series speakers
was showing a generous range of speakers for rental companies, modest-scale installation and larger projects such as EDM and live music clubs. Unique subwoofer designs and patented mid-range driver technology underpin touring and large-scale installation loudspeakers, and the A-Series, C-Series, XD-Series subs, F-Series studio monitors and i-Series are all selling well. The D-Series loudspeaker management system has dedicated Class-D amplifiers – an Italian relationship complemented by one more, with FaitalPRO, that supplies several driver models. A few years ago, this prompted quite a breakthrough. “Our Italian friends (FaitalPRO) came up with a driver that got us thinking about 1-way (or single source) designs for small cafeterias, installations like that, and maybe creating columns using them. At the same time it led to the idea of replacing 2-way studio monitors – which, by the way, Genelec kind of already has covered! – with a similar design.” No relation, but the venerable Auratone ‘domestic reference’ monitors used to offer this experience, but with limited scope, as Isotalo discovered. “Talking to a lot of experienced engineers it seems that they were mainly used for soloing vocals, or bass, rather than checking the whole mix,” he says. “So we started thinking we could develop our coaxial single source concept as a main monitor.” All the products have patents: the A1 has a mid-range compression driver with different path lengths covering from 300Hz to 4kHz. Using a smaller cone, it uses a 15” driver with a small, band-pass type of horn. Last year Aura introduced the i3 into to the ‘i’ installation range, designed in collaboration with the famous Finnish designer Stefan Lindfors: it still has the unique 3” cone driver but the styling is expected to appeal to the hi-fi market. The more compact format is aimed at nightclubs, music bars, speech and general music reinforcement if used with the XD10 or XD12 subs. Look out this year for a powered version of the i5, and a game changing passive cardioid subwoofer technology. With echoes of David Gunness, Isotalo and his team are in pursuit of single source on a larger scale. “With this basic design,” he reflects, “the stereo image is much more three-dimensional. Once we had that driver, after 2011, we added a new waveguide and we really think we could be getting closer to the Holy Grail. We’re always thinking left field – trying to come up with new solutions.” n www.auraaudio.com
www.psneurope.com/installation 46 Aura AUdio INstallatio! FIn.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:36
Full Page Template.indd 1
11/5/2015 3:15:28 PM
P48 FEBRUARY 2017
Installation
SPAIN
All-MediaMatrix install call at Mallorca mall Peavey networking systems enhance zoned audio playout in major Balearic shopping outlet
F
an Mallorca, situated near Palma Airport on the Mediterranean island of Majorca, is a huge, multi-zone retail mall that opened last September. Dolores Bañon, the director of promotion and development for Carrefour Property España, sums up the size of the project: “The Balearics will never have seen so many top brands under the same roof,” she said. They’re all here: H&M, Mango, Decathlon, Primark, Media Markt, Cortefiel, Pedro del Hierro, Women’secret and a number of Majorcan clothing designers and footwear manufacturers – and a C&A (yes, it still exists outside of the UK). The mall received a total investment of around 190m euros, and involved 2,400 people in its construction. Covering more than 70,000sq m, a distributed – and proven – audio management system was required for Fan Mallorca. The multi-zoned areas often require separate source material. So, each bathroom (men, women and children), the restaurants, retail outlets and walkway areas all required a dynamic audio feed with a constant variation of playlists, depending on climate and affluence within the building. This meant that the audio DSP system had to communicate with other subsystems, namely a Davis weather station and an Axis Communications people counting camera system. Reliable and trusted solutions were all vital as installers faced – (nothing new here!) a tight timeframe – the entire audio install needing to be completed in just 10 weeks. To meet the challenge of outstanding audio and control throughout the mall, Spanish specialist distributor Neotecnica came on board to oversee all aspects of the technical installation. The reputation of Peavey’s MediaMatrix NION processors made them the preferred choice, with an optical CobraNet fibre network distributing the sound throughout the discrete areas of the shopping centre via a Cisco-based network with over 2km of fibre and copper cable runs. Two NION n6 processors manage the core audio for more than 55 different zones, all audio channels are processed and transmitted from the NIONs to a total of 13x Crest Audio Ci amplifiers via CobraNet. In addition to the Ci amplifiers there are two nWall CobraNet I/O panels located in the mall for 2-in, 2-out patching of the MediaMatrix system, useful for events and ad hoc performances in the facility throughout the year.
Fan Mallorca is now one of Spain’s premier shopping complexes
As well as handling all audio aspects of the system, the NIONs are also at the heart of control, utilising GPIO interaction with the weather station and counter camera systems in order to schedule and steer the correct audio sources at any given time dependant on weather, mood and overall busy-ness, all thanks to the diverse MediaMatrix control toolbox. MediaMatrix Kiosk (PC) and Kiosk2Go (iPad) GUIs have been created and deployed within NWare and hosted by the NION processors providing staff connection to take control, monitor and maintain the system within an intuitively designed environment. The Crest Audio Ci amps are distributed across nine racks throughout the centre via a total of 12km of cable, hooked up to more than 210 Fohhn and 50 Focal speakers, distributed in 70/100V lines. Each area of the mall now has its own playlists that change automatically, depending on the surrounding situations, which means visitors are able to enjoy a vast range of ‘retail therapy’: there is sure to be something for everyone throughout the 120 stores to be found within the mall. Fan Mallorca now has to rank as one of Spain’s premier shopping experience. James Kennedy, operations manager at Peavey Commercial Audio remarked: “We are once again delighted to work with our Spanish partner Neotecnica in making this project such a success. Applications like these always throw up technical curve-balls and this was no exception! The third-party systems integration with NION for dynamic content delivery was particularly
Crest Audio amps power the system
challenging for the engineers, [but] they have managed to leverage the power of NION to overcome these problems through the flexibility and capability of Python-scripting and bespoke control devices within NWare. The guys at Neotecnica have done a sterling job!” “The open philosophy of nWare makes it possible to adapt it dynamically, which is in my opinion, is one of the key points to this project,” added Neotecnica engineer Fernando Vidal Wagner. Carrefour Property, owner of Fan Mallorca Shopping Mall, were thrilled with the outcome. “We are delighted the project has been completed in record time,” said a spokesman. “We wanted to develop a different project, a shopping mall music oriented to include many different areas in the centre, each with their own playlists which change according to the weather or the influx of people in the middle. This project is a real turning point for the retail sector and will mark a milestone in the history of shopping centres.” n www.neotecnica.es peavey.com
www.psneurope.com/installation 48 Fan mallorca install v1FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:37
BRINGING TOGETHER
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DIGITAL – PRINT – EVENTS GAMING – MUSIC – AV – PRO AUDIO – CONSUMER ELECTRONICS VIDEO & BROADCAST – EDUCATION
LOGO
Global OUTLINED LOGO
TECH& LEARNINGUK
LOGO – No Strapline
www.newbaymedia.com
LOGO – White
LONDON – NEW YORK
NB Media Advert_Together 220x290.indd 1
29/11/2016 14:27
P50 FEBRUARY 2017
ISE: Preview
NETHERLANDS
All aboard for Amsterdam!
Integrated Systems Europe 2017 kicks off its 13th year with a bigger showfloor, an audio solutions theatre and even more exhibitors
T
aking place at the RAI Amsterdam on 7-10 February, ISE 2017 is expected to attract more than 65,000 visitors to see over 1,100 exhibitors. For four days, the newly extended show floor will be home to a community of manufacturers, distributors, integrators, service providers and end-users. ISE will feature over 3,000sqm of additional show-floor exhibition space compared to last year and it will also welcome 135 new exhibitors. There are also leading audio exhibitors and products that will be on show. ISE visitors can enjoy a ‘pro-ribbon immersive experience’, aimed at the residential market, with Alcons Audio showcasing its high-end, C-series home cinema systems through a joint collaboration with Barco Residential, DreamScreen and Trinnov. To support Alcons’ claim of “bringing HiFi at concert sound pressure levels” in any size application, the experience is set up in an acoustically-optimised listening room on their stand, where visitors can experience a 11.1.8 channel pro-ribbon surround system. Only recently unveiled at NAMM 2017, the TG 500 wireless system from beyerdynamic is being featured at ISE. A successor to the Opus 600 series, and designed for smaller stages, theatre productions, speeches or presentations, the new system is said to focus on modern features and to be usable licence-free almost all over the world depending on the frequency band selected. The system is available in five sets, each of which contains an individual receiver and two removable antennas. The TG 550 Vocal Set is supplied with the dynamic TG 500 H-D handheld transmitter with a TG V50 capsule (dynamic capsule, cardioid) and is claimed to be perfect for singing, whereas the TG 556 Vocal Set comes with a TG 500 H-C handheld transmitter with a TG V56 capsule (condenser capsule, cardioid), making it appropriate for presentations. The TG 500 wireless system from beyerdynamic
The ControlSpace EX audio conferencing system marks Bose Professional’s entry into the audio conferencing market. The solution includes the EX-1280C conference processor and three undertable Dante endpoints for streamlined integration. ControlSpace EX simplifies design and installation for large meeting rooms by offering direct Dante microphone connectivity, analogue-to-Dante mic conversion, all common telephony interfaces (VoIP, PSTN, USB and analogue), and time-saving algorithms.
Bose’s EX-1280C conference processor
Cloud Electronics will show two new models of the MA40 Mini Amplifier series, shipping immediately post exhibition. Originally shown as development prototypes for the first time at ISE 2016 the new Cloud MA40F and MA40T Mini Amplifiers are squarely aimed at decentralised solutions and where requirements exist for adding additional audio zones to legacy installations. The new MA40F Mini Amplifier features a mono 40W output , two stereo line inputs with individual input gain, an additional 70V/100V line input, a paging microphone input with independent EQ, music EQ, music mute (for simple fire alarm connection) and a facility port allowing Cloud’s LM-2 wall input module and Cloud’s new BT-1F Bluetooth wireless audio module to be connected easily. The MA40T offers identical features to the MA40 but provides 100V output (25V/70V/100V) in place of the low-impedance output. The MA40F and MA40T are the first in a line of four MA40 mini amplifier models, with RS-232 / Ethernet and Remote Level functionality being added to the four model line-up. The new Omni48AT landscape satellite speaker and Omni89AT satellite/subwoofer package come in marinegrade powder coated aluminium enclosures and feature proprietary purpose-built drivers from James Loudspeaker. The Omni48AT delivers 360° of refined sound from a single location, claims the company. Four coaxially mounted 0.75in aluminium dome tweeters over proprietary high-excursion 4” woofers are mated to a sophisticated crossover network. The 4” woofers feature an aluminium cone and Santoprene surround to withstand harsh outdoor environments. The Omni89AT is an Omni48AT combined with a
The Omni48AT landscape satellite speaker from James Loudspeakers
matching down-firing 8in subwoofer, also housed in an aluminium enclosure. Typical applications include rocky landscape areas where traditional satellite/in-ground subwoofers cannot be installed, or a large area of open seating where full omnidirectional coverage is beneficial. The Omni89AT allows a single enclosure to do the same job as four 42AT All-Terrain satellite speakers with a subwoofer, the company claims. A new micro digital recorder, the PDR (Personal Digital Recorder) has been introduced for professional use by Lectrosonics. The company says the PDR could be used in situations where using a wireless microphone is not practical, as the PDR recorder can travel with a subject and capture professional quality audio, synchronised with timecode. The tiny size and rounded shape make the PDR unobtrusive and easy to place in garments and costumes, says the company, adding it would be easy to conceal when used as a ‘plant’ microphone to capture environmental or location sound. The PDR records in 24 bit, 48kHz digital onto a Micro SD card (HC type) in the .wav format. Setup is accessed via the keypad and LCD. The PDR could be used in situations where using a wireless microphone is not practical, says Letrosonic
The SmartBoom LITE headset is being showcased by Pliant Technologies, along with the complete line
www.psneurope.com/business 50-51 ISE 2017 FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:39
P51 FEBRUARY 2017
of SmartBoom PRO headsets. The SmartBoom LITE series features technology that allows the adjustable microphone boom to act as an on/off switch for quick muting. The closed back, on-ear headsets feature a single-ear design with enhanced acoustic isolation. The mic boom is flexible and has a dynamic noisecancelling cardioid microphone optimised for voice communications. The CrewCom professional wireless intercom system
The CrewCom professional wireless intercom system is also on show at ISE. It is the first product launched by Pliant Technologies since the new professional division of CoachComm was announced. The intercom system is based on a new Pliant-designed technology platform called CrewNet. This network coordinates and transports all system timing, audio, signalling and controls. CrewNet can operate over standard Cat5e (or greater) and single mode fibre lines, breaking the current barriers for wireless intercom range. CrewCom is designed around a system architecture that offers a high density of users with an easily manageable infrastructure and lower cost per user than typically found in large-scale wireless installations. ISE showgoers can also take a look at the new Q-SYS AV-to-USB Bridging Solution, which combines professional quality video and audio for computer-based videoconferencing and capture from QSC. The company says the solution, which includes Q-SYS PTZ-IP cameras, TSC-7t Touch Screen Controller and I/O USB Bridge, is suitable for both installed conference PCs and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) scenarios. The company claims the fully networked solution eliminates the need for ‘costly and unreliable’ HDMI and USB extenders by keeping all Q-SYS appliances on the network.
Announcing the availability of four new surfacemount speakers designed for broad dispersion and high intelligibility is SoundTube Entertainment. The SM52-EZ, SM52-EZ-WX, SM82-EZ-II and SM82-EZ-II-WX offer an economical solution for integrators who need surface-mount speaker options for indoor or outdoor music and paging applications, the company says. All four SM-EZ speakers have achieved an IP65 rating in the US, which means the speakers are dust-tight and will withstand water jets aimed directly at them. The –WX models are IP65 capable out of the box; the standard models achieve this rating when an included port plug is installed. SM-EZ speakers are constructed with polypropylene woofers (5.25” in the SM52-EZ and SM-52-EZ-WX; 8” in the SM82-EZ-II and SM82-EZ-IIWX) and soft dome tweeters. SoundTube’s proprietary BroadBeam Ring technology in all four models ensures high intelligibility, even well off-axis, SoundTube Entertainment claims. Said to be the world’s first Dolby Atmos-enabled in-wall height speaker, the AIM Series 2 ATX100 is being demonstrated by SpeakerCraft. The ATX100’s dual drivers and tweeter fire upward into the acoustically controlled wave guide that projects the Dolby Atmos height cue information off the ceiling, creating the immersive effect. The 0.75” custom titanium dome tweeter with high-energy neodymium magnet structure features a frequency response up to 22kHz. With its dual 2.5” Kevlar-reinforced pulp mid-bass drivers, the ATX100 can handle up to 125W of amplifier power at 8 ohms.
The first Dolby Atmos-enabled in-wall height speaker from SpeakerCraft
Surface-mount speakers from SoundTube
The new Nexus routing system is being presented for the first time by Stage Tec. Nexus distributes and converts audio and non-audio signals using
decentralised, networked base devices, which are populated with I/O boards corresponding to customer requirements. With support for DANTE and MADI, Nexus converts and transmits a wide range of formats, says Stage Tec. Networking is via duplex fibre-optic cables with variable SFP+ transceivers. AD/DA technology in the shape of the TrueMatch microphone converter achieves up to 32-bit internal resolution and a dynamic range of 158dB(A), dispensing with the need for microphone preamplifiers, according to the company. ISE is the first major European trade show where Yamaha will be exhibiting the newly updated MA2030a and PA2030a compact power amplifiers. Yamaha says that the compact, rugged MA2030a and PA2030a power amplifiers are ideal for smaller projects, both supporting low impedance and high impedance speaker systems, with an interface that has been carefully designed for easy everyday use. Set up is quick and easy, requiring no computers or complex procedures, and no special skill or experience is needed for day to day operation, the company claims. The new update has added an 8 ohm option to the existing low-impedance (30W x 2ch, 3 ohm/4 ohm selectable) output, plus high-pass and low-pass filters which make it easier to incorporate subwoofers for enhanced audio quality. Yamaha is also showing the compact TF-RACK rackmount mixer, which is designed for projects where flexibility is needed but space is limited. Said to be ideal for integration with systems based on Yamaha Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) products, TFRACK has been created to offer increased versatility. Housed in a 3U high, 19” rack casing, TF-RACK is a space-saving, all-in-one 16+1 stereo in, 16 out digital mixer featuring the ease of setup and operation provided by Yamaha’s intuitive TouchFlow Operation. ISE also offers other sound-related reasons to visit the show. There’s the AudioForum, which is one of the pre-show events, taking place on 6 February, before the main show days. Organised by Connessioni, in cooperation with AES and supported by ISE, as well as 18 Sound and Powersoft, this year’s AudioForum will focus on audio from the electronics perspective; processing, DSPs, software and firmware for design, monitoring and setup. It is dedicated to consultants, sound designers, system integrators, installers, as well as any professionals interested in knowing more about the latest audio technologies, offering up to date seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities. The speakers include: Umberto Zanghieri, consultant specialised in DSP development, Ruud Kaltofen, DSP system designer and president AES Dutch section, Mario Di Cola and consulting sound engineer, Mark Kocks, business development manager at Powersoft. Then, a key feature of Hall 7 is the ISE Audio Solutions Theatre, which showcases expertise and insights from the length and breadth of the audio industry. n www.iseurope.org
www.psneurope.com/business 50-51 ISE 2017 FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:39
P52 FEBRUARY 2017
Technology feature: Corporate AV
Capital gain structure There’s more to Corporate AV than conferencing with tea and biscuits. Phil Ward adds sweetener…
C
orporate. Such an intimidating word. Conjures up silk ties and secretaries, along with the strange dichotomy of big budgets and brainwashing: the freedom to travel and speculate in a luxury straightjacket. It also suggests a complex world of opportunity for pro audio, because the jacket and tie are loosening. Beyond the obvious demands of business communication and conference, a new creativity has been allowed onto the premises, shown to the waiting area and offered a latte.
Soap opera When PZ Cussons – home of Imperial Leather and other cleansing confections – decided to establish an international HQ near Manchester, it was time for a few classic corporate statements. As well as the architecture, which is a symphony of rectangles in glass and steel, the AV infrastructure speaks volumes about corporate identity – quite literally. Prestonbased Pure AV obtained a brief to set new standards in visitor experience, and wired the whole place to integrate the public face of the company with the private communication networks necessary to make the whole
business tick. So there is an imposing video wall in the foyer, for example, that uses innovative MicroTiles to counter the daylight that pours into the atrium. As well as the comprehensive, inter-departmental AV and data network, several more open meeting spaces have projectors and LED lighting to convey gently the self-promoting and reassuring messages of company integrity as you pass through. There’s video conferencing, of course, plus iPod docks, DVD players and portable AV systems, and a ready-to-go auditorium kitted out with wireless microphones and induction loop reinforcement. The fitness centre – naturally – and restaurant have their own BGM and TV sources. One way or another, this whole space is blowing the bubbles of PZ Cussons. For Erica Whittle, Pure AV’s marketing manager, the PZ Cussons project represents a pinnacle of integrated corporate AV, of the kind that is tightly customised to one particular organisation. Another significant project for Pure AV was Twickenham rugby stadium, where versatility is the order of the day. “The conferencing, entertainment and meeting facility there is booked by a huge variety of outside organisations,” Whittle says.
“And it has to cover everything from small trade shows to weddings. That’s the difficult thing with corporate AV: it starts to cross over into the hospitality space. At Twickenham, for example, we didn’t put in a lot of display end points. The core of it was much more about the infrastructure, and how to carry high-definition video and audio around all of the rooms and spaces, in order to make them as flexible as possible. One day they might be hosting a traditional conference, with a main presenter and a seated audience, and the next day everything will be cleared out to host an awards dinner.” Sometimes the prophecy of corporate AV is selffulfilling. “Some companies that we kit out use the facilities to provide training for the people who sell their products, or perhaps for their customers, and then offer the same facilities to their suppliers or someone else in the supply channel,” adds Whittle. “Having good AV available means they can add value to their investment.”
Quid pro quote Specialist AV companies like Pure tend to focus on the permanent installation of technology as part of the fabric of a building, especially a new one. But in pro audio, the emergence of a new corporate spirit of
www.psneurope.com 52-54 Technology FIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:40
P53 FEBRUARY 2017
adventure, one that takes the messaging out of the car park and on the road to marketing Mandalay, is drawing established names towards brave new horizons. According to Allen & Heath’s Ian Thomas, the corporate sector is by far the most appealing market from a business perspective. “According to BVEP (Business Visits and Events Partnership), in the UK alone the events market was estimated to be worth £42.3 billion in 2015 and to grow to £48.2 billion by 2020,” he reports, and that, proportionally, the corporate markets make up 80 per cent of events with festivals, cultural, music and sporting events making up the remaining 20 per cent. And by ‘corporate’, he means conferencing, meetings, exhibitions and tradeshows. “The corporate markets will have a growth rate of 35 per cent to 2020,” he continues, “with the market worth an estimated £36.5 billion. Conversely, the remaining markets have moderate growth of 3.9 per cent, making the market worth an estimated £8 billion by 2020. “From these figures it’s clear to see the commercial potential that this market offers and we aim to deliver not only products, but platforms that are multifunctional.” The age of the digital console has revolutionised the corporate market in terms of event production. No longer are there constraints imposed on engineers by having to cater for what seems like two separate events: internal scene management is seamless and can also be triggered by external software cues via standard TCP/IP commands. Using Automatic Microphone Mixing (AMM), the engineer is also free to focus on the ‘show’ elements of the event, saving both time and money expended by the company. Automatic microphone mixers enable engineers to manage multiple live mics without riding individual input faders, especially in unscripted programmes. Originally the brainchild of engineer Dan Dugan, early incarnations included Yamaha’s Dugan-MY16 mini-YGDAI card for the company’s digital consoles, but more generic solutions are now available – usually either the ‘gating’ type or the ‘gain sharing’ type. “One shuts the channel if there’s no signal, simply enough,” explains Andy Huffer, founder of reseller and consultancy HD Pro Audio, “and the other works out an average gain for all the inputs. People use them in the corporate environment because, otherwise, the operator is constantly trying to second-guess who’s going to chip in next. You’re less likely to miss the start of a sentence. It’s also used in broadcast studios, of course.”
SSE’s event with Shop Direct
Presidential Debates, as well as some of the ‘blue chip’ companies themselves that have invested in equipment for their own facilities. “DiGiCo consoles are popular for many reasons... audio quality, ease of use, flexibility, reliability and the fact that so many freelancers are familiar with the DiGiCo range. The S21 and the new S31 were developed and designed with one eye on the corporate market, in offering a compact, lightweight console that is affordable, but maintains many of the key features found on the SD-Series range.” Many leading rental companies are finding lucrative work in sub-contracting from conventional AV suppliers.
THERE’S A LACK OF ACOUSTIC UNDERSTANDING, OF COURSE, AND A LOT OF THE TIME YOU’RE PUSHING THE TECHNOLOGY RIGHT TO ITS LIMITS
SAM LYNAM, B+H SOUND
The story goes that the go-to AV guys cannot scale up the audio, when the occasion demands it, in the way that they can the video and lighting. So a call goes out to an established rock and roll hire company with the tacit brief to take care of the audio as a separate package. The establishment of SSE Group’s London operation was a clear response to the increasing demand for high-quality audio at the kinds of corporate events that only a place like London will sustain all year round. Even in Redditch, where SSE is headquartered, a dedicated
Fashion house Superdry also commissioned SSE
corporate AV desk has been ably manned by Tom Pickett for some time now. “We do a lot of work with Matrix Nine, run by Andrew Frengley with his huge portfolio of clients,” explains Pickett. “It’s an unusual hybrid of dry and wet hire: the freelancers are our regulars, but employed directly by Andrew. The times we get involved is when live music is incorporated into something that, say, PSP [Presentation Service Providers] or MCLcreate is doing: we’ll get a brief about the location, design a system and get down there. Otherwise, with dry hire, we’ll provide something like a control package, a passive split if they’ve got a band in with their own engineers, or a mic package, monitor package, in-ear package…, specialist kit that those guys won’t have on the shelves. They know the bread-and-butter work we do, so when it comes to live music they know where to call.” Sam Lynam is business development manager at B+H Sound – among many other things, regular AV supplier to The East Of England Showground. “This market is a lot more strict than rock’n’roll. Loud music is one thing, but when you’re creating the ability for people to be able to hear every single word clearly… “More and more people are adding panel sessions in which every individual is radio-mic’d, and every channel has to be pristine. I personally find it a lot more stressful! The end product has got to be perfect. Once a live band has passed through the system, in a way it’s all done. In the corporate market, feedback from a microphone is a cardinal sin. “There’s a lack of acoustic understanding, of course, and a lot of the time you’re pushing the technology right to its limits. The client expects perfection, regardless of the conditions. Even with dry hire, we have to leave diagrams and instructions like ‘if you stand here you will
High density mode makes Shure’s ULX-D attractive to the sector
Hot desking “Corporate AV is an increasingly popular market for DiGiCo,” says VP of sales Ian Staddon, “where the tech requirements and professionalism of product launches, presentations and AGMs are increasing all the time. Our clients include many of the major production companies who handle events such as the largest US consumer product launches and the recent high-profile US
Pure AV installation at PZ Cussons
www.psneurope.com 52-54 Technology FIN.indd 2
24/01/2017 19:40
P54 FEBRUARY 2017
Technology feature: Corporate AV DOCTORS’ ORDERS London’s Royal College of Physicians, the medical organisation, is a Grade One listed building and plays host to a myriad of events in 19 different spaces. It recently installed K-array loudspeaker systems in the two main rooms, supplied by newly appointed UK distributor 2B Heard. “We use these spaces for everything from conferences and drinks receptions to weddings and corporate parties,” comments technical and AV manager Ben Pain, “so we needed audio systems that were capable of providing everything from conference speech all the way through to sound reinforcement for rock bands.”
Erica Whittle, marketing manager at Pure AV
get feedback’…” There is another consideration. “We don’t allow the crew to wear shorts for these jobs,” Lynam reveals, “and their whole demeanour has to be different. Shorts send out the wrong message, and I don’t want to lose clients because B+H has a reputation for showing hairy butt-crack…”
When money talks “In conferencing and meeting spaces, speech intelligibility is the main focus for any sound reinforcement system,” explains Thomas. “AMM is the perfect tool for these applications, with the deployment being a seamless and transparent experience for the end user. The advantages of AMM are evident in its description: the experience should be ‘automatic’, meaning no requirement for external factors to ensure smooth operation – no manual fader adjustments, no feedback and minimal extraneous noise. It’s a must-have feature for any engineer working within the corporate environment and very reassuring when customers report that, once enabled, they have the confidence to leave the system and simply walk away.” “We handle corporate AV across two distinct vertical markets,” says Marc Henshall of Shure Distribution UK. “We have our Systems Group and we have our Pro Audio Group. The Systems Group concentrates on integrated audio solutions for a number of sectors, including ‘corporate’, while the Pro Audio Group manages the events side of corporate audio... “By far the biggest portion of the business for corporate AV in the Pro Audio Group is equipment for rental and production companies that specialise in this area. It has its unique challenges, because a lot of the information broadcast at these types of events
Andy Huffer from HD Pro Audio
is sensitive – discussions and presentations on a business-to-business level, or an internal level of topics that are more often than not embargoed. So things like wireless encryption become mission-critical: if you’re announcing a new product to your entire organisation at a conference, you don’t want that information potentially leaking out to somewhere else. “The events often take place in huge venues with multiple rooms, so that raises its own challenges. Channel count for the wireless systems can rack up very quickly, in comparison to a live concert that takes place in one room, essentially. They’ll also host these events ain places that are already very spectrum-congested, like inner cities – we did one recently across multiple rooms in Barcelona – so we need to make sure our products continue to stand up to that kind of treatment. “In this situation, things like High Density Mode start to really come into their own: we can intentionally restrict the operating range of each wireless system so they can be better zoned into separate rooms and you can have that high channel count across lots of systems in close proximity. It’s one of the key features of ULX-D, making it ... attractive for that kind of application.”
Networking opportunities “The corporations are increasingly employing in-house AV specialists,” admits Huffer, “which has taken some of the consulting side of the business away from the manufacturers and resellers. But there is a much higher level of audio technology going into modern corporate environments, and it’s always been a pioneering area for digital audio networking, for example – going right back to CobraNet. It was a big user of EtherSound for a while, and now there’s loads of Dante everywhere.” But progress is not unhindered. Even according to sources within ALC NetworX, the home of network
www.psneurope.com
K-array at Royal College Of Physicians
protocol RAVENNA, “the lack of integration with the corporate IT network is holding back adoption of audio networking”. Despite widespread adoption of Cat-5/6 or fibre connections for digital audio, it’s commonly installed separately to all other IT systems, thereby adding to the costs. It’s for this reason that RAVENNA is promoted in AV as a proven broadcast solution, more compatible with other network traffic, but it certainly is not the only option. For many others, handing audio over to the IT staff is itself risky. “Some clients offer you a realistic indication of budget requirements,” rues Huffer, “while others tell you what they want to achieve, ask you what they need, and then ‘value engineer’ what you propose into oblivion! They often imagine it will just involve a couple of Control 1s and a small hi-fi amp, and then you visit their nightmare space of marble and glass… You have to try and explain as best you can that the audio won’t cut it. While they’re happy to spend a fortune on a huge screen, because that’s where all the glamour is, they only want spend 50p on making themselves heard while they’re standing in front of it.” n www.pureav.co.uk www.allen-heath.co.uk hdproaudio.co.uk
How IoT Makes Smart Buildings Even Smarter Full day business conference with twin-tracks on commercial and residential technology and applications
This year‘s one-day conference will show how the IoT (Internet of Things) will change the way we work, the way we live, and reveal the new services now possible within today‘s buildings. Join the world’s leading smart building experts and thought leaders in Amsterdam, the day before ISE 2017 begins.
Exhibition, Conference, Networking
More than 200 delegates
Award Winning Architect: Ole Scheeren
Monday, 6th February 2017 9am to 5pm Amsterdam, RAI, The Netherlands For more information and registration visit: www.smartbuildingconference.com
Full Page Template.indd 1 ISE2017_AD_SBC_EN_220x290_.indd 1
11/01/2017 09:55:05 10.01.17 13:44
Save the Date Conference 14 – 18 September 2017 Exhibition 15 – 19 September 2017 RAI, Amsterdam
IBC2017
Where the entertainment, media and technology industry does business Join over 1,800 exhibitors showcasing the latest technological innovations, 400+ speakers delivering the latest industry insights and 55,000 attendees providing unlimited networking opportunities at IBC’s 50th annual conference and exhibition. Add dates to your diary IBC.org/savethedate Follow us on social media for the latest news and updates #IBCShow
IBC.org Full Page Template.indd 1
18/01/2017 10:19:11
Please send all contributions for possible publication to drobinson@nbmedia.com
P57 FEBRUARY 2017
Heather & dither
Taking the lid off the the night of SSE Audio Group’s fabulous 40th anniversary bash All photos: Dave Robinson
Last month saw one of the UK’s most successful PA rental companies, SSE Audio Group, celebrate its 40th birthday, coinciding rather splendidly with the 40th anniversary of (left) founders John and Heather Penn’s relationship. Hundreds of friends, colleagues and guests filled the Fly By Night facility in the UK MIdlands for a party which included a performance by the cast of broom’n’bin-bashing show Stomp (bottom, left), followed by a hit-heavy set by Brum reggae legends UB40 (bottom, right), key cogs in SSE’s machine. After a stirring speech reflecting on the company’s history, John Penn was presented with a specially sourced WEM Audiomaster mixing desk (right) – just like the one he first mixed a show on 40 years ago
W O
N I SH G
IN PP
NLW4000 family from our hands to yours 21”&18” Neo Subwoofers. 4 inch Voice Coil
www.psneurope.com 57 Hither & dither vFIN c.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:41
FEBRUARY 2017
Backtalk
Photo credit: Mike Banks/RecordProduction.com
P58
George Shilling In the wake of his recording with Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Dave Robinson asks the producer, engineer and cellist, ‘Penny for your thoughts?’
Y
ou might know him from his writing and reviewing in the wider pro-audio press. However, earlier in the New Year, engineer and producer George Shilling appeared in the national media in a story highlighting more strings to his bow. Literally, in fact: Shilling played cello on a choral work written by former Ozzy cohort (and cancer survivor) Tony Iommi for the Birmingham Cathedral Choir.
Readers might recognise your name from kit reviews and your producer interviews at RecordProduction.com… That’s only a day or two each month. Otherwise I’m mostly producing and engineering records, sometimes playing instruments on them. I also do mastering. Reviewing gear means I get to experience loads of equipment and software.
Where did you cut – or should we say ‘Coldcut’ – your teeth? Indeed! I dropped out of the Royal College of Music and made the tea at Livingston Studios when Jerry Boys was the studio manager. My lucky break was engineering for Coldcut in the mid-1980s – DJproducers who were starting to have success. The more senior in-house engineers couldn’t get their heads around the idea of people turning up for sessions who didn’t play an instrument or sing – the DJ-producer was a new thing then. I was a rock fan, but being young and keen, and still in touch with schoolmates who ran a pirate house music radio station, I thought it would be a cool gig, and I was soon engineering chart hits including The Only Way Is Up – #1 for five weeks!
I always loved when I was doing more freelance engineering. There’s are plenty of mics, various preamps and outboard – the AnaMod ATS-1 tape simulator is a favourite. There’s a great drum room, but the control room is larger, with grand piano, Hammond, Wurlitzer piano, percussion, synths, guitars and basses. And mad things like a harmonium and an Autoharp.
years. The prelude of that Bach suite is one of probably four party pieces that I can just about play from memory, so it’s not too bad actually! I’ve got to the point where I have had a few cello pupils achieve distinctions in their exams, so at least I know where your fingers are supposed to go, but I don’t practise enough: Melodyne comes in handy occasionally!
You found yourself in Abbey Road recently: what was that about?
Do you often play on recordings?
That was the London Hospices Choir and Paul Carrack, re-recording his Mike & The Mechanics hit The Living Years for a charity single. I recorded the vocals, and was arranger and producer Jim Hawkins’ trusted ears upstairs in the control room. The amateur choir was 300-strong, so we recorded them in four batches. They sang incredibly well on just one rehearsal.
How did the record do? The bookmakers predicted a Christmas #1, and it sort-of was… Not counting streaming it was #12. But in the physical CD sales chart it was the Christmas #1 and stayed there for two weeks.
Then you got asked to play with the Sabbath guitarist… Tony’s fairly local to me, and my mate Mike Exeter is his engineer. Knowing I play the cello, Mike suggested me to Tony, who needed some strings to ‘gel’ the guitar and vocal sections on How Good It Is, his collaboration with the Birmingham Cathedral Choir. Mike is brilliant, he recorded some of the last Black Sabbath album with Rick Rubin. The piece is available as free download from www.birminghamcathedral.com/news.
Give us a quick rundown of your current studio set-up…
How’s your Suite for Cello Solo No1 in G by Bach?
At Bank Cottage I use Pro Tools HD with a couple of black UA Apollos, and ATC SCM100A monitors which
I pretty much stopped playing when I started at Livingston, but eased myself back into it over the last 16
Yes, frequently with clients I’m recording, and even online sessions. I’ll invent arrangements and multitrack the parts – like I did with Tony.
What was it like in the studio with Iommi? Wonderfully relaxed. I’d already worked out a few bits; we met at Woodworm Studios, he listened, then left me with Mike to work out the rest. We recorded demo cello parts, and Tony then recorded his lead guitar. He’s a lovely chap – incredibly down-to-earth.
What was the process recording the cello? I recently commissioned a new instrument made by David Alabaster that sounds amazing. I recorded with a Neumann U 87Ai or Sontronics Aria (I can’t remember which!) into my UA 6176. The multitracked bits are generally three cellos per part, up to a maximum of eight.
Have you recorded any other famous cellists? I recorded my hero Julian Lloyd Webber on the Classical Relief For Haiti single, which I engineered at Metropolis. I later had a consultation cello lesson with him, and I’ve performed (brother Andrew’s) Variations with a 10-piece rock band.
Any other talents you care to tell us about? I’ve started every day with yoga for about 25 years, and I can nearly do a headstand. Nearly. n www.georgeshilling.com
www.psneurope.com 58 George shilling vFIN.indd 1
24/01/2017 19:43
Full Page Template.indd 1
23/01/2017 11:50:17
Big thinking For smaller boxes
Game-changing innovations in coaxial speaker design At Celestion, we’re always looking to find innovative solutions to the challenges faced by PA manufacturers. That’s why more and more forward-thinking brands are choosing to work with us. Take our coaxial drivers for example: unlike conventional designs, our FTX range uses a cutting-edge common magnet motor design to deliver big improvements in signal coherence and time alignment for a more natural sound from a very compact and lightweight speaker. Visit our website or contact us now to find out more about our innovative PA driver solutions.
Find out more
Full Page-Template.indd 1 V2 PSNE.indd 1 #42179 Coax Driver Ad
celestion.com
1/7/2016 1:41:18 PM 06/01/2016 16:10